


Realm of Oaths

by ViiMike



Series: Realm of Oaths [2]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), kingdom au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2018-12-18 16:59:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 56,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11878872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViiMike/pseuds/ViiMike
Summary: (Kingdom AU) A young knight dreaming of valor, Tsukasa Suou is finally allowed a chance at joining the esteemed guard of King Leo Tsukinaga himself. However, just as first encounters may not be what they seem, the castle he soon calls his home is deep and ancient, his fellow knights strangely wise, and the king himself a bottomless enigma.Presented in roleplay format as the main story to Enstars Kingdom AU by @akiratotsuka and @LeoTsukinagas. Canon Leo/Tsukasa planned, more to follow.





	1. Chapter 1

**Leo:** The life of a king that gained the throne through overthrowing the old system certainly wasn’t a boring one. Young king Leo never was allowed to complain about lack of enemies hiding in every shadow of capital, awaiting their chance to get rid of undeserving monarch.  His country was still during early establishment phase so he had his hands full with diplomatic meetings with the most important families, the foreign policy gave him a headache countless times. Obviously, Tsukinaga Leo very often missed the times when his power could be displayed with sword only. And even though his weapons were charming words now, no one would say he’s not skillful with these either. King Leo’s passionate speeches moved most people in the country and thanks to his efforts citizens were safe, at least from external aggressors. Yet, for what Tsukinaga always looked forward the most were practices with his most loyal knights, these rare moments when his mind could relax and he was exhausting his body only to get a deep, healthy sleep later.

This afternoon he was especially excited as he proceeded through his audiences. One of his closest knights and good friend decided on  a new knight to introduce to his guards circle . A young knight that was too young to participate in Leo’s rebellion yet Sena Izumi decided he’s worthy of becoming his knight. Truth was, Suou’s household was one of the most influential families on his lands and thanks to their help Tsukinaga managed to survive and win his rebellion to the very end, so as a token of gratitude their heir had to be accepted into his ranks. But what made Leo all the more interested in what kind of a spoiled child was Tsukasa Suou was a fact that he managed to impress  Sena, who was rigorous in his judgement . “ _ He’s just as annoying as you _ ” was the only hint he got from his friend. 

So after his regular routine, in only light armour, Leo rushed in the practice ground’s direction. He did not want to meet the new knight earlier. After all, you can recognize a real warrior  from the way he wields his weapon. That’s where he will see if this kid has any potential. Rushing through ambulatory he only glanced at practicing knights, trying to recognize a new figure. The first thing he noticed  was hair in a dark flaming colour so once he was downstairs he directed his steps towards someone he didn’t recognize.

 

 **Tsukasa:** All his life, Suou Tsukasa had waited for this moment. He'd played the scene over and over in his mind, rehearsing the lines he'd say, practicing how he would genuflect with grace fit for the son of a well-bred family. King Leo would stride up to him, tall, imposing, powerful, and yet gentle at the same time, and Tsukasa would be so moved as to bow his head in reverence immediately at the sight. It would be perfect, and he would bring the honorable Suou name into the spotlight of the kingdom with his charms and wit... Yes, he could see it all in his mind.  

Today, his first day as a royal knight in training, he was supposed to meet the king, he thought to himself. Earlier, Sena had offered (or rather, forced, if Tsukasa would speak so honestly) to walk him through what sorts of equipment and weapons they had available for training. He looked over the impressive store of items carefully, with detail, but with impatience. He could feel his heart pounding with excitement, and though he would be ashamed to admit it, like a small child, he could barely sleep at night waiting to become a royal knight. With someone as surly as Izumi Sena serving under him, Tsukasa could only imagine the king of this land his family supported so much was someone really incredible.  

Seemingly very reluctant, Izumi invited him to practice. "Will we not see the king today?" Tsukasa asked him, and Izumi's reply of "I don't know how long that stupid king will keep us waiting" already has Tsukasa reeling in surprise. Surely, the magnificent king could not be an idiot? He wondered aloud, though he's ignored. 

The sun began to sink as they practiced, and Tsukasa was already sweating quite a bit. He'd glance back at the castle time to time, half expecting the king the come out with his arms wide open to welcome Tsukasa to the royal guard. Where? Where was he? 

Finally, a man came out, and at first, Tsukasa thought it was a messenger. He was a man of small stature, in simple armor and... is that...? And suddenly, Tsukasa feels all the blood rush to his head.  

The stern, confident stare he'd always dreamed of meeting, if only for a moment, was looking up at him. Up, and not down. 

"Ah..." He tried to speak, and only let out a strangled noise. "It's... ahh... good... good evening."

 

 **Leo:** The greeting was already the first surprise that awaited Leo once he reached the young knight. Being a crowned head that received a kingly treatment almost from the moment he raised up a rebellion, a casual, almost shy “good evening” was a greeting he didn’t expect to receive from a man that seemed to be a proud son of a big family.

“Good… evening.” he returns the greeting slowly as his careful gaze runs through the red haired man’s posture. Just a glance at his beautiful, heavy armour, hands that seemed not used to his pretty sword just yet and bright, purple eyes, still brimming with life and confidence made him realize that indeed, the man standing in front of him was still just a brat that fought during festivals at best. “You must be a new one here, huh… Doesn’t look like you used your pretty equipment often… Regardless, it’s really pretty! I’d love one like this standing in my halls!” King Leo shouted with a wide smile on his face, hands resting on his sides, his big, bastard sword hanging on his back. “You need to tell me later who made it for you! But that’s not important now… You need to tell me… something- AH!! Sena!! I remember!”  Though a little man compared to a new knight,  King Leo raised his voice even higher, waving his hand in the silverheaded man’s direction. “What, ousama? I’m busy with my training...” Despite these words, Sena Izumi turned around in slight interest and together with him few other knights, just as curious who made the king so lively (not that it was so rare). “It’s that newbie you talked about, right?” Leo happily pointed at the redhead. “Introduce us properly!” of course, the expected response he got was “That’s so annoying..” but guard’s commander came closer to reluctantly introduce the one he accepted in the royal knights himself.

 

 **Tsukasa:** As Tsukasa watched the head of the royal guard stand in front of him to introduce him, he couldn’t help but feel this situation was getting further and further from reality. But first of all, he wanted to use Tsukasa's armor as a decoration? And his demeanor... he seemed so very distracted, and going at a pace faster than Tsukasa could keep up with. Certainly not what Tsukasa had pictured from what he'd heard from his family, and what he'd seen of the king's great speeches. 

"Don't stand there with your jaw hanging open. You're in front of the king right now," Izumi chided, and Tsukasa snapped back to reality. Even though the older knight was usually quite poised, his posture seemed very serious and austere at this very moment.  

So this was really the king he'd looked up to for so long. Pull yourself together, Suou Tsukasa. You didn't practice all of this to disgrace your family name now. He gulped and straightened up, bringing a hand to his chest as a sign of reverence.  

"This is the new addition to our ranks, an offering from the Suou family. They've asked us to take care of him," Izumi said succinctly, without expression, before turning to look at Tsukasa out of the corner of his eye. "Introduce yourself." 

Like any child of good breeding, Tsukasa bowed low and respectfully. "Excuse my rudeness earlier, your majesty. I am here to join your exalted rule, in the honorable name of the Suou family. My name is Suou Tsukasa. It is the greatest honor to be allowed to serve as a royal guard." There. A little later than expected, but he managed to say his lines. He maked sure to look his king in the eyes, though a little crease of worry was starting to show on his face.

 

 **Leo:** The king had been through many introductions like this in the past so he almost paid no attention to the boy’s name or his pleasantries. He knew Suou’s family well enough to know they sent their kid to get closer to him and Tsukasa was honestly just another kid with dreams of knights and honor. He felt almost sorry his dreams will be ruined now that Sena decided to add him to his guards.

However, there was something that the king noticed right away that bothered him. He  knew this stare well enough and it has always came from over-confident people that were surprised with his figure. Tsukinaga Leo was a great warrior that defeated many obstacles standing in his way to the throne but his body was small and he took advantage of all his enemies looking down on him countless times.

“Are you troubled with something, newbie?” the king crossed his arms on his chest, forgetting all formalities he should commit. He wanted to try and see how much this kid is worth soon. “I’m yet to accept you into my guards but an heir of your family is always welcomed in my castle.”

 

 **Tsukasa:** Tsukasa blinked at the king's lack of real formalities. He'd expected some gracious greeting, but perhaps because of the casual setting of their meeting (Tsukasa covered in sweat, for one thing), the king had decided to get to business right away. If so, Tsukasa must answer him seriously. 

"Troubled...?" He murmured, before he realized he's showing his feelings on his face. Truly, he is still only a novice. "If you will forgive me, your highness, this is the first time we have met. I believe it only natural to be both delighted and surprised at a first meeting." He tried hard to swallow the strange feeling he gets seeing how much... smaller... the king is than he'd imagined. "It is my pleasure to be here as a representative of the Suou family. My mother and father give their regards to you and ask for your gracious favor to allow their heir into the royal guard. Of course, I plan to also live up to that position."

 

 **Leo:** “Is that so…” Leo was way too used to not believing in compliments like these, since it was only the kindness that was expected in such situations so he only smiled in response. The young knight seemed to look down on him so he was eager to give him a proper lesson soon and with that goal in mind he unhooked his own sword from his back and gave it to Sena, who was still standing next to them. “You see, newbie... I pick my weapons very carefully. Every swordsman will tell you it should be an extension of your hand. So, if I want for my kingdom to work properly my most trusted knights must be like fingers of said hand.” Leo moved past Tsukasa, his steps directing toward the darkhaired knight that was resting right now on his side. “Rittsu, lend me your sword” The king interrupted his own monologue with a wide smile to which his knight responded, obediently giving him his weapon and swinging it cheerfully in one hand. Leo returned to the new boy. “Together with Sena there are three knights that are like that to me, so obviously, I’m missing one finger. But I don’t want to get too serious and accidentally hurt you while testing if the chick could be the one so I will be easy on you and your beautiful sword. Is that fine with you?” Leo laughed, pointing Ritsu’s sword at Tsukasa.

 

**Tsukasa:** Tsukasa could feel an electric sensation run through his body as the ruler of the kingdom pointed a weapon straight at him.  Despite his small stature, King Leo carried himself with such confidence. In his speech, Tsukasa felt traces of the many diplomatic speeches he'd witnessed; apt metaphors, overflowing confidence... and yet, there also seemed to be a hint of amusement in the challenge. 

The other knights around him were watching, waiting. The one named "Rittsu" looked like he was really enjoying the scene, even. 

Fighting down the nervousness creeping into his mind, Tsukasa looked straight down the edge of the blade. "You... you wish to test me in battle?" he confirmed. Truthfully, he was feeling very tired and unprepared, and he didn't quite feel it was a good time for this. But he of course knew he couldn't back down when someone so powerful was challenging him. 

Drawing his blade, he answered. "Truthfully, I am not in the greatest form. But if that is your wish, then I will earn my place." With a fancy, practiced flourish, he set himself into a fighting stance.

 

 **Leo:** “Sadly… It takes years to be well prepared for an actual battle.” Seeing a bunch of useless moves, king Leo’s smile became almost mocking, his posture still pretty relaxed and lazy. On a top of all that, compared to Tsukasa his armour was light, that an experienced warrior would penetrate very easily if he left the slightest opening. His eyes met Sena’s for a while and it was visible that everyone was overly excited to see their king teaching a lesson to an overconfident knight. It didn’t happen often, Leo rarely allowed new people so close to his circle, but the son of one of his important benefactors had to receive special treatment. 

Leo folded his free hand behind his back, in the simplest stance. “I shall let you start, show me the best move you have~!” he encouraged the young one happily.

 

 **Tsukasa:** Tsukasa narrowed his eyes at the king. It was clear he was being treated as a novice, and truly, he could admit he deserved it. He had never seen a "real" battle himself, his experience only consistent sparring with his tutors at home. The king had dared Tsukasa to make the first move, and anyone well-versed in combat theory would know it to be an advantageous tactic, with the purpose of gauging the opponent's strength without revealing too much of your own. But, if Tsukasa was going to be honest with himself, the smile on the king's face made his blood boil. Refusing such a challenge would be an insult to both the king and his own pride as the Suou heir.

"You are right, your highness," he replied after taking a deep breath. "I am yet inexperienced with real combat. But I am honored to be given this opportunity."

Brandishing his shiny sword, Tsukasa made a careful lunge toward the king. Though he had to adjust for his opponent's height, everything was just as he practiced: swift, precise, just enough pressure to fight but not injure his opponent, who was only wearing light armor.

 

 **Leo:** Once the young knight charged at him Leo had to admit, his technique was very polished, near perfect and yet too careful, and the king felt he was being looked down upon once more. Brief irritation ran through him as he realized Suou’s heir still wasn’t serious. In a split second his stare became stern, almost bloodthirsty, as Leo parried Tsukasa’s move. Without giving him much time for reaction, he clashed their swords in a countermove with an actual intention to precipitously shake off this fancy blade from Tsukasa’s hand. 

He stepped back at the last second though, the smirk on his face openly sarcastic now, provoking the knight to come at him once more, hopefully seriously now that he gave him a small display of his strength. However, he doubted that a little, but at least his knights will have a bit longer show to watch.

  
  


**Tsukasa:** Tsukasa's pulse quickened and his stance was thrown off just a little, and he had to strain himself to keep his grip on his own sword. Landing a little bit harder on his back foot than intended, Tsukasa adjusted himself again. He'd expected the king to be good, and he could already tell he was outmatched. He could've easily lost his hold on his own blade just a moment before. His heart beat faster just thinking about how tough an opponent he was facing. 

And yet, the king had stepped back and given him another chance. Clearly he was still hiding his ability quite well. And also, clearly, an attack of that caliber wasn't going to work. Perhaps this is what the king was trying to tell him. Perhaps he should treat this as a lesson. 

Focusing yet again on that mocking smile, Tsukasa readied himself before charging again, this time with a little bit more force behind his footwork.

 

 **Leo:** He could see Suou’s heir got a little bit more serious once he realized Leo has given him another chance, and he could feel a small spark of excitement run through his back. He loved duels like these and he had to admit the boy’s technique was pretty polished. If only it was backed with some experience… 

Tsukasa’s next move was a bit more forceful yet still somewhat disappointing. The boy still was holding back and the king never was an especially patient person. Almost just as easily, he blocked his attack and this time his countermove was fiercer. Leo forced the young knight to step back, the mocking smile gone. He didn’t wait for Tsukasa’s reaction this time and advanced himself, focusing his attack on Tsukasa’s side.

 

 **Tsukasa:** Tsukasa stumbled back, a little taken aback by how effortlessly he was deflected. Yes, of course, this was the king he was fighting against, but had Tsukasa's calculations not worked? After such a display of power, seeing Leo switch stances made Tsukasa feel a bit nervous. He hadn't really fought against someone seriously before, and the look in the king's eyes was almost something too fierce for what Tsukasa would consider sparring.  

He could only catch a glimpse of Leo's movements before he had to bring his sword up to defend himself. Though it had caught him by surprise, the angle he'd met the attack with was perfect. But, his arm strength was a little lacking. As a countermeasure, he sidestepped and turned the force of the attack away from himself. It was a smooth movement, but Tsukasa definitely felt like he was working quite hard to keep up. 

He stepped backward again. This can't do, he's been driven back a little too far. He quickly went on the offensive, slashing at Leo. He wasn't used to this pace, but he trusted his technique to make it work for him somehow.

 

 **Leo:** The way Tsukasa reflected his attack was apparently a bit more than Leo expected from him after two previous moves. He still was only half serious but after the knight insulted him with not treating his challenge seriously and the king himself as a proper opponent... Leo couldn’t hold the urge to crush any of the boy’s hopes to keep up with him. 

Once Tsukasa tried to use his own force against the king, Leo pushed against Tsukasa’s blade with even more strength, their swords clashing with a small spark. The knight had to step back once more, his sword lowering in defense. Yet, despite his small posture, Leo kept pushing it down until Tsukasa’s grip on it loosened. The redhead ended up on the ground, probably pretty confused on what happened just a second ago as the king placed Ritsu’s sword next to his neck with smile as mocking as before. 

“So~ Do you need to hear why you’re on the ground right now newbie?” he asked, his voice cheerful and loud like before.

 

 **Tsukasa:** Tsukasa's back hit the ground before he really knew what happened. His heart was beating so, so fast... if he hadn't sacrificed his balance at the last minute to avoid that last strike, he might've actually been injured.  

Just... just as he thought he'd gotten the rhythm, the king had immediately thrown him to the ground. Was he overestimating his own ability? Truly, he was still inexperienced, but this level of strength was really beyond what he'd expected. His cheeks flushed from a bit of embarrassment but mostly frustration. 

"You are... quite strong, your highness," he grumbled, slowly standing up and patting the dust off his armor. "If you would be so gracious as to offer me another try..." he ventured, reaching for his sword.

 

 **Leo:** Leo wasn’t really listening to Tsukasa once the knight got back on his feet. Swinging his comrade’s sword a few times, he returned it to its rightful owner. “Rittsu, it’s still such a great blade! You’re taking good care of it!” The king complimented the raven haired knight and he bowed a little, a small smile on his face. 

“I’m glad ousama could use it in this little show,”  Leo grinned to him in return and moved to his inner guard’s commander, taking back his own, huge sword and looking at it as if he was greeting a friend he didn’t see in years. He performed a few powerful thrusts with it, first with one hand and then with both.

“Ahh! This feels the best after all! This sword always has been made for huge things wahaha ☆” Leo sighed dreamily, the small sparring with the new knight long forgotten. He couldn’t wait to finally start training on his own and maybe try a few other knights. “Honestly,  as much as I enjoy this peace, my dear sword didn’t taste blood in a while and that’s a shame… Maybe I should agree to some duels from my enemies? Wahaha **☆** ” 

“As if I needed idiot ousama adding to my troubles,” snorted Izumi Sena.

 

 **Tsukasa:** Huh...? Tsukasa had been all ready to go for another try and show off a few more of his moves, but he found himself being blatantly ignored instead. He felt a wave of irritation bubbling up inside of him. He'd asserted his position and his name as a member of the proud Suou household in this display of power, and this... this king wanted nothing to do with it, instead choosing to ignore him and play around with his big sword? 

If Tsukasa wasn't a boy of good background, he might've lost his temper right then and there. But even so, the other knights had acted like this was a normal thing. Of course anyone would want another chance at it! At this point, Tsukasa was even unreasonably worried he wouldn't be allowed into the royal guard. 

"You are going to ignore me? Is my test over now? Just like that?" he questioned, forgetting his position for a moment, refusing to sheath his sword.

 

 **Leo:** As expected, Suou’s heir reacted very fast to being ignored by his king and Leo giggled to himself before turning in his direction. Naru will probably reprimand him for being mean to young and inexperienced knights but this one started it all himself. It was the only reason why he was even more insufferable than usual. The boy was still ready to go at him but king Leo had not the slightest intention to follow his whim after sending him to the ground so easily.

“I don’t want to play anymore with you newbie, it’s the only time of the day I’m free after all! I want to go seriously at someone and get tired before sleep!” Leo exclaimed with a bit whiny tone digging the blade of his sword a bit in the ground to rest on it. “Play more with Sena and the other knights before going at me again.” Was this Suou kid even aware how easy he went on him, not using his own weapon, giving him chances to go at him during sparring…? He had a few lessons to assimilate and next time the king didn’t want to hold back so much. Normally he’d tell him to go home right away but Sena’s personal recommendation was holding Leo back. There had to be something he didn’t see yet but seeing the knight getting all irritated was a pleasure on its own, too.

 

 **Tsukasa:** Tsukasa was about to step forward again, but he caught Sena's eye and thought better of it. It seemed the head of the royal guard was giving him some kind of warning, and he realized he'd been stepping out of line a bit. It was true that the king had made him feel irritated and ashamed, but... Tsukasa decided he wouldn't push it anymore right now. It had been all play to the king anyway. 

He sheathed his blade, a look of dissatisfaction still plainly on his face, the tone of politeness returning to his voice. "I thank you for the opportunity and guidance, and for your good graces. I have learned much today." He looked Leo in the eyes reproachfully. "And I will look forward to our next opportunity."  

He wasn't really aware how lucky he was to have another chance. Rather, he simply wanted to prove his own abilities in front of the king. The embarrassment he was made to feel would probably stick in his mind for a while.

 

 **Leo:** Seeing the knight calming down Leo decided it’s a good moment to get serious as well. Tsukasa wasn’t the only one disappointed after all, but perhaps the king’s expectations were a bit too high. But he was allowed to expect a lot from someone whose parents wished he’d stand by his side as his shield and advisor, someone Leo would call a companion one day. “I want you to be aware, newbie, I’m allowing you to stay in my castle because the guard’s commander recommended you personally.” He said, looking the taller man straight in the eyes as if they were the same height. “So use this opportunity to learn as much as you can from your seniors and don’t fail his expectations.” Leo lifted up his sword and went into Ritsu’s direction once more. “Sena, Rittsu and Naru all have unique technique and you’ll learn a lot from them if you keep your mind open. And be ready from now on. I won’t be holding back anymore.” With that warning the king patted Ritsu’s arm and he nodded without a word. Leo was done learning about the new man for today, so it was his turn to entertain him. After all, ousama didn’t have to fight anymore but it seemed keeping his body in shape gave him weird comfort, so neither Ritsu or any other knight complained if it could bring their king calm dreams later.

 

 **Tsukasa:** It finally seemed like the king wasn't playing with him or teasing him anymore, and Tsukasa could physically feel himself relax. He wasn't quite in the clear yet, but he felt relieved that he didn't have to go back home defeated and with his tail between his legs. The expectations placed on his shoulders felt like a heavy burden to him, but he wasn't an heir of the Suou family if he wasn't used to rising to meet such a challenge. 

He bit his lip, remaining silent and looking away as Leo left him to his seniors. Two of the knights lightly nodded to the king and approached Tsukasa.  

"Our king's always like that." Sena's voice made him look up again. Tsukasa bowed to both of them. 

"Hm, I think he's in high spirits today, actually," another voice giggled. Tsukasa recognized it as Narukami. "It's not often we get such a cutie in our ranks. Though maybe he was being just a little too harsh on you?" 

Cutie...? Tsukasa frowned just a little. "If I must be honest, I fail to understand how he could be so flippant about this. This offering from the Suou family is a very serious and symbolic exchange," he said in a low voice. He cleared his throat. "But I am honored to have this chance." 

His seniors only seemed amused by his response. Sighing, Tsukasa reached for his sword once more. If he must endure grueling practice, he would go to all lengths for his dignity. "I am grateful to be able to learn from the royal guard. Please take care of me." And please help me stand up to the king, he quietly wished in his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Leo:** The following days in the king’s castle certainly weren’t the easiest for the young knight. And Leo was a main factor as to why it could be this way. The king never failed to remind the boy he’s not accepted him into his closest guards quite yet and as promised, he wasn’t easy on Tsukasa during their usual sparrings. Since the moment they met, he was pretending to not remember his name. It was troublesome, almost. Days passed and the king had to admit Suou’s heir was improving fast and steady but he was lacking a lot, was naive, so inexperienced, still trying to hold back to not injure him in rare moments of getting some advantage…

Leo did not hold back telling him that he’d be a burden, and almost started hoping the redhead will finally give up and one evening he won’t see his fiery stare pointed at him the moment he appears on the practice ground… Yet, he had to admit Tsukasa’s persistence and seriousness were exciting and amusing. He was mocking him a lot, but turning down all these challenges would be too big of an insult on its own. Leo could only imagine how much he was letting out his frustrations about him behind Leo’s back…

But still, he was back on the practice ground, sparring with the young knight once more, the knight going as seriously as he could. He only kept wondering how he could throw him off again this time.

 

**Tsukasa:** "He's so insufferable!"  
"Suu-chan, if you keep frowning like that, your eyebrows are gonna get stuck that way."  
"Huh? Really?" Ritsu grinned at him as he reached up to touch his own forehead.  
"You fall for things so easily, Suu-chan... that's probably why Ousama has such a fun time with you."  
Tsukasa pouted. Thinking about the king always got him riled up these days. He'd been having regular sparring sessions with Leo, but it always seemed like the king was mocking him... and the very worst part was that, even though he had such a distinguished name "Suou"... even though he'd become a member of the royal guard, the king still refused to call him by name! It'd been a while since they began practicing! At the very least, the king should remember who he is because he challenges him so often! Tsukasa fumed thinking about it.  
One such day he challenged the king, he was treated the same as always. Yet, he still earnestly rushed at Leo. He couldn't tell if he was improving much, but it did seem like his moves were getting stronger and his reactions faster. The king was as good as ever, but he didn't get thrown to the ground like before (not as easily, anyway).  
At least today, he noticed he could read the king's moves just a little bit more easily. Panting, he wiped some of the sweat from his brow. "My king, how is my performance today? Am I improving?"

 

**Leo:** The king stepped back taking a deep, slow breath. He hated to admit it but these sparrings with the young knight slowly were becoming a noticeable exercise for him. Tsukasa Suou didn’t realize how lucky he is at all. Everyday he got to train with Leo’s best knights and he wasn’t turning down any of his challenges either… But it was still a few years too early before he could consider him a knight of the same caliber as Sena and the rest.

“If you don’t know it yourself I doubt there is much improvement, newbie,” he answered Tsukasa’s question, smiling innocently. “As for me, I still could have killed you a few times, wahaha!” 

Leo adjusted his position, smiling to himself. It was true, he was having fun bullying and fighting with this kid. He got used to this routine and it was easy to forget about kingdom’s politics for a while here. Without a warning he jumped in Tsukasa’s direction, tightening the grip on his sword, trying to give his attack just enough power to throw off the knight’s balance.

 

**Tsukasa:** The move the king hit him with had a bit more power than he'd predicted, and Tsukasa lost his footing, and stumbled backwards. Rather than attacking back once more, he gritted his teeth in frustration. Maybe he really wasn't improving, if he couldn't see it... the king was still getting the best of him, and had even said he could've killed Tsukasa. Perhaps his guesses were just lucky. Maybe he was overestimating himself? But really, at least the king could give him some acknowledgement...? 

"Must you insist on continuing to call me 'newbie', your highness? I may be in training, but I have a real name!"  

He raised his sword in front of himself. This wasn't good, the stress he'd felt for a while was seriously going to affect his performance.

 

**Leo:** Leo showed the knight a wide smile once the regular complaint arrived. Tsukasa tried to make him remember his name here and there but he refused to do so, mostly to tease him. It was so normal for the heir of a big family, he had to be completely thrown off that the king didn’t seem to pay any attention to that.

“Do you really have time to focus on such petty things now, newbie?” he laughed, going in for another attack. The boy was way better at blocking them but there was no way he would tell him that yet, not while the lesson was still going on at least. The knight seemed to be very greedy for praises and acknowledgement which was… cute, almost. But he wasn’t in a position to spoil someone who he refused to see as his own knight, was he? He was sure Naru did enough of the spoiling in his place anyway.

 

**Tsukasa:** Tsukasa raised his blade to defend himself, but the angle he approached with was awkward, and he ended up stumbling again. He glanced behind him for a moment-- he was quite literally being backed up out of the training area. Why... why couldn't he show the king his abilities right now? He could swear he's so much better than this! And still, with the "newbie"?! When would the king acknowledge him as a knight? 

Flustered, he closed in for a clumsy attack.

 

**Leo:** He was almost surprised how much of composure the boy lost after exchanging a few words with him. Leo was almost disappointed because the boy’s performance just a while ago was almost perfect. He sighed deeply, as he blocked with ease Tsukasa’s attack.

“Suo, put more power in your feet.” He instructed him calmly but the fact he used his name had a big impact on the knight. With the next, more rushed attack Tsukasa was on the ground, once more, facing disappointment on king’s face. “Honestly… If you can get provoked so easily by your opponent you’re going to die in a very awful way, Suo.” He attached his sword to his back, suddenly losing all excitement he felt from the training. “I can’t baby you in the castle forever.”

 

**Tsukasa:** "I-It's because you-- huh?" 

Tsukasa was about to complain to Leo about the baby comment, but stopped midsentence. Had he heard it wrong? It sounded like the king had said something like... "Suo"? Like... his name? 

"E-Excuse me, I may have heard it wrong, but did you just call me 'Suo'?" he said incredulously, looking up at Leo. He stood up quickly, not even bothering to brush the dust off himself. He gripped his sword's hilt so tightly his knuckles started to turn white. 

"My name? Your highness,  _ now _ of all times you choose to use my name? Then what sense was there in calling me 'newbie' all this time? Was I simply being played around with?" He let out a noise of frustration. "Unbelievable! Am I not a royal knight as well? Why do I receive such incomprehensible treatment?"

 

**Leo:** Incomprehensible treatment? The knight was up on his feet and Leo looked up at him, trying to hide his surprise. So he really… wasn’t aware that the treatment he received was special on its own? True, Leo wasn’t especially kind to him but that was way more than anyone ever got from him.

“You’re misunderstanding.” the king said, feeling slight irritation. “You call yourself a royal knight yet you expect me to entrust my life to someone who gets all distracted over his name during a fight? That’s an insult to all your seniors.” And to think he really was ready to praise him a few minutes ago...

 

**Tsukasa:** "Forgive me for being so impudent, but was that 'Suo' not on purpose?" He finally sheathed his sword, remembering he wasn't supposed to be violent. "I do not ask for your trust, your highness, only your acknowledgement. Is it really the case that those you cannot entrust your life to do not even deserve to be called by their name?" 

Tsukasa stared back at the king. "But I would not want to insult my seniors. I realize this is a smaller issue, so if you would allow me to try sparring with you again, I would be very honored."

 

**Leo:** Surprisingly, Leo could feel he’s losing his regular composure. He was a king for a good few years already and was rather used to a fact that no one except for his closest knights talked back at him. At least not like this and they weren’t some chick knights that never tasted a real battle.

“Was it Suo..? I got it right this time? Ohhh… My head is honestly bad with remembering the smallest, insignificant details...” Of course, he remembered Tsukasa’s name from the very start but it was one of the tactics to make him grow tired with Leo and his dream of being the king’s royal knight. “But no, I really lost interest today and would most likely hurt you when you’re so distracted, newbie. Cool down your head and think through what being a royal knight means, alright?” he added at the very end, as if he was talking to a child.

 

**Tsukasa:** Well, that was it. "G-Gahhh!" Tsukasa balled his hands into fists. "As the heir to the Suou family, I am deeply ashamed to be speaking like this to you, but I simply cannot let this slide. Is it truly not your intention to provoke me and pretend to forget my name simply because I am the newest member, in other words the "Newbie"?" He steps closer to Leo, pointing right at him. "I realize that this is a trivial thing, but it is irritating! Just because you sit on the throne does not mean I must be subjected to such vagaries! Will you not face me properly?!" 

He brought his hand back to his chest. "I fully realize I am speaking out of place. Punish me if you will, but I cannot stay silent."

 

**Leo:** Leo definitely wasn’t used to anyone other but Sena raising their voice at him. Even before he became a king, he quickly gained respect and admiration because of his skills and now, this young knight standing in front of him was pointing at him and complaining about his behavior. The king smiled, but at this time it wasn’t his happy, wide smile.

“As much as I’m indebted to your parents I could send you straight home at this very moment.” he said in a calm, cold voice. “This kingdom is my pride, the fruit of my every effort and you can dedicate your life to serving it, not me.” his expression was stern as he looked straight at Tsukasa’s eyes. “But you want to be acknowledged, yes? I’ll give you one last chance to do it, in an official duel. And if you fail my expectations once more, I will be especially disappointed with this offering from Suou’s family.” 

 

**Tsukasa:** Tsukasa swallowed hard. He knew he stepped out of line, and although his childish mind was telling him to get angry at the unfairness, his etiquette as a boy of good upbringing and his pride as a member of an established family told him not to waste this chance. He panted, trying to keep his emotions under control. 

"...Very well," he began with some effort. "I understand that this is my final chance. I will not apologize for criticizing you, but I do apologize for raising my voice so disrespectfully." He bowed his head lightly. "I humbly accept your request, your highness. I swear to you I will not disappoint you. I stake my pride under the Suou name."

 

**Leo:** He could feel the vein on his head twitch when this little brat said he won’t apologize for criticizing him. Who did this rich kid think he was..? He had to take a small while to calm down as well before he impulsively canceled the proposition of a duel. Keep it calm Tsukinaga Leo… This chick had no idea what he even agreed to. “Good! At least you know there are challenges you can not turn down! Your challenger is me, obviously and let’s see… The duel will take place in a week, I will not train with you from now on. I’d love if you didn’t nag my knights too much either but Sena is the one that recommended you so if you wish to practice with someone, he should be the one.” Laying out details slowly, the king reached for his sword and pointed it at Tsukasa’s chest, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He himself didn’t participate in a serious battle for a good few years after all. “I don’t plan to hold back anymore, newbie.”

 

**Tsukasa:** Tsukasa gulped, his gaze trailing down the length of the blade, straight to the king's glinting eyes. "I expect nothing less from you, your highness. I will do my utmost to prepare for such an occasion. I beg of you not to hold back in any way." He bowed his head once more in deference, then stepped back. Under the brave face he'd put on, he could feel his knees begin to shake. He couldn't get rid of the feeling that he'd somehow stepped into something bigger than he could handle. 

But, having blown up at the king of a country he was supposed to serve, he could only graciously accept the offer he'd been given. 

"Time is of the essence," he says after a moment. "I must take my leave. Please excuse me." 

And he bowed once more and left, steps heavy, expression dark, unsure of what he'd just gotten into.

 

**♘♔♘**

 

**Leo:** “Ousama, don’t you think you’re way too harsh on Tsukasa-chan?” 

Not the first complaint from blonde knight could be heard in the castle since Suou’s heir became its resident. It was evening before the king’s duel, the duel his knights didn’t seem to especially like, but understood it’s the most gracious and also  deceitful thing  Leo could do in such situation. It seemed the king wanted to send the knight home once and for all but the thing he hasn’t quite taken into account was how fast the others grew attached to this upstart kid. 

Despite telling Suo to not bother them too much they came to him on their own, training the young knight, trying to give him advice and giving away the king’s weak spots. Seems the boy was accepted in his ranks before he got any say in this…

“Won’t he do fine with all your advice?” Leo laughed after the last training before the duel. “You shouldn’t waste your time on me Naru, I won’t change my mind so make sure you spilled about me all you can, wahaha!” The kind showed his knight a small smile as if he meant way more than he's said. But truthfully, he didn't really expect Naru to support his decision about sending the kid home, did he…

Arashi left him with a pouty face and before Leo headed to his chambers, he searched for the young knight, almost hoping to catch the determined, stubborn look Tsukasa presented him this whole week whenever they passed each other in the hallways of the castle. Ah, how ready he was to change it tomorrow…

 

**Tsukasa:** A week was precious little time to prepare for the duel that could change his entire life. The days Tsukasa spent with his seniors felt so unreal. Even without them around, he could be found practicing his movements by himself, a quiet silhouette remaining late into the night. During meals, he would stare into the dish and brood, earning a few concerned remarks from his seniors. But even such teasing didn't seem to reach him, as the only thing on his mind was what he could possibly do to be able to stand up to the king in a week's time. He couldn't allow himself a moment of rest, lest it affect his performance. 

"Be thankful I'm spending time on you, Suu-chan," Ritsu said with a grin, the day before the duel. "At least it's cloudy out today, I don't have to feel like I'm melting under the sunlight... Haa..." He yawned, picking up his sword. 

"Yes, Ritsu-senpai..." Tsukasa said slowly. Maybe it was the exhaustion beginning to affect him, but he felt oddly shaky. "If, after tomorrow, I am unable to meet you again... I want to thank you for graciously going out of your way to train me so often. Your help has been invaluable toward my growth. I only pray I do not leave you in shame." 

To his surprise, Ritsu laughed. "Suu-chan... acting like you're giving up already? That's so unlike you." He brought up his sword, taking a stance. The look in his eyes was meaningful. "Take it from an old man like me, I've seen many kings come and go, and Ousama is a cut above the rest. But he is, after all, only a human." 

...Only a human.  

When Tsukasa met Leo's eyes later that night, it was with a different fervor than before. In this situation, he had nothing more to lose. His nervousness felt so much lighter. His gaze was almost bloodthirsty as he stared at the king.

 

**Leo:** There was a change in the knight’s attitude once he caught Leo’s gaze, and Leo could feel a small shiver of excitement run through his entire body. He didn’t even interact much with the boy since their last sparring yet he could sense his growth (at least mental one) from afar. With a wide smile he waved a hand at Tsukasa and turned to the castle’s entrance. It was just a glance, but it made him look forward their duel so much more…

The next morning, he woke up in higher spirits than ever with a mood so good it was hard for his knights and courtiers to not hesitantly answer with the same. King Leo was always screaming and running around but knowing what was about to happen in a while made them all the more concerned about the Suou’s heir. The king certainly won’t hold back in such a mood.

“Do you always have to grin like an idiot before the battle? It’s so annoying…” Izumi Sena’s voice sounded when the king was setting up his armor. A heavy one. He knew well he couldn’t underestimate his opponent so much anymore. At least out of respect to the crazy effort Suo seemed to have made to be able to defend his position today.

“Sorry Sena, it’s a bad habit of mine!” Leo laughed cheerfully. 

“Then fix it tsk.” his friend snorted and left him to go and see if his apprentice didn’t need any last advice. The king sighed deeply and slowly finished his preparations. Definitely he should be slowly getting serious as well. It wasn’t just a sparring after all.

Collecting himself, he finally headed into the direction of the training grounds that since that very morning were prepared for their fight, giving also some interested people a space to watch. 

 

**Tsukasa:** Tsukasa woke up on the day of the duel with a rather disturbing dream. For some reason, he'd dreamed about his parents coming to watch his duel with the king, and as soon as the king rushed at him, he immediately forgot all his training and fell right on his bottom, and his parents stood up and disowned him on the spot. Why did he have to be so sluggish in his dreams? He sighed, patted his face to wake himself up, and began to get himself ready. If there was anything he needed to do today, it was try not to disgrace his own family name. No, rather than try, he must absolutely protect its honor. 

As he arrived at the training ground, thoughts were still swirling around in his mind. Would the king really not hold back? Would he end up getting sent home? What would he even say if he lost? How could he-- 

"Ah! Tsukasa-chan, watch where you're going!" 

He stumbled back a bit before realizing he'd bumped right into Arashi.  

"Ah, Narukami-senpai. I apologize." He bowed slightly, not meeting his senior's eyes. 

"My my, Tsukasa-chan, it isn't good to be so distracted on the big day. Aren't you going to defend your honor?" 

"I... I will." Tsukasa breathed. 

Arashi chuckled and put his hand on Tsukasa's shoulder. "It'll be alright, Tsukasa-chan. You just have to beat Ousama up real good." He gave Tsukasa a wink and walked off.  

How could his seniors be so calm about this? Tsukasa began to think as he donned his armor and strapped his favorite shining sword to his waist. Tsukasa was only just starting to realize it, but they had started to become important to him as well. If he lost, he'd lose them in his life too. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath before stepping out into the battlefield. 

As he did, he caught Ritsu's eyes. The dark-haired knight had on a confident smirk as usual. Tsukasa shook his head. He needed to concentrate! 

He walked forward and saw the king standing in front him, resolute, intimidating, clad in heavy armor he'd never seen before. His heartbeat was thumping wildly... but he also felt calm. He stared over at Leo, his gaze sharp, his hand ready on the hilt of his blade. 

"My king... I, Suou Tsukasa, have now arrived to meet your challenge. I only beg of you... a fair fight on this day. Please do not hold back, and fight me with all your power."

 

**Leo:** Awaiting Tsukasa to arrive, Leo lost himself in deep thoughts, trying to recall everything he knew about the young knight so far. He was really determined, making progress fast and despite this stubbornness was really willing to learn new things. But his inexperience and naivety, as charming as they were, made it too big of a flaw to allow him among his loyal knights… Yet, all his friends during this week took care of his training determined to make him able stand up to the king… Which obviously couldn’t be possible but perhaps… perhaps he should consider their attachment to the boy and trust they will make him a full-fledged knight…

Tsukasa’s words interrupted his flow of thoughts and he stared straight back at those purple eyes, full of resolution probably only this challenge could bring out. He nodded slowly, reaching for his sword, positioning the huge blade between him and the young knight. It was way too early to make his final judgement.

“And I wish as well for you to exhaust your abilities on me. Come forth and shine as brightly as only you can, young knight! ” he shouted, allowing Tsukasa to take a stance before advancing for a first, careful attack to tell his opponent’s strength.

 

**Tsukasa:** At the king's words, he felt a rush of adrenaline in his body that he'd never felt before. He would have described it as feeling "alive" if it didn't seem truly absurd to him (he's already alive, after all). But he felt all his senses were sharp, electricity running through his fingers. 

Fortunately for Tsukasa, the king was gracious enough to give him a bit of time to breathe and get in a stance. He drew his blade, watching the glittering red stone set in the hilt. If he had to go down, at least he would go down representing the honor of the Suou family with everything he had. 

At the king's first careful strike, he brought his sword up to meet it. It was the same polished moves he'd used before, but there was no sense of hesitation. He skillfully fended off the light attack and stood in wait for another. Thanks to Ritsu's training, he knew he needed to preserve his energy in the beginning.

 

**Leo:** His attack was warded off way too easily and with no countermove. Leo stepped back to look at his opponent once more, slightly expecting some sudden attack, only after a split second realizing there will be none. The lack of hesitation he could feel in Tsukasa’s blade sent a shiver down his spine and an excited smile, one he never showed to the boy formed on his mouth. Has this chick wished to exhaust him first? Tough luck, like this he could go on for many hours.

His next attack was wild, strong, with full intention of showing the knight even being in defense will cost him a lot of energy. He took his sword in one hand, aiming at the knight’s side, to catch the hilt with both hands in a split second and changing the direction of his move up, clashing their swords with an empty clang. It wasn’t the end of his sequence however as the king switched hands completely jumping ahead, without giving Tsukasa much time for a reaction. He probably should consider himself lucky he knew well how big his sword was or else he’d have already hurt this pretty face.

 

**Tsukasa:** Even with such a big sword, the king was light on his feet. Tsukasa caught the first move with some effort, his face contorting in exertion as he caught it in a slightly awkward position. But the king was relentless, and Tsukasa was quickly wrapped up in another attack. With a trained eye, he managed to meet the move. True to his words, Leo wasn't holding back, and Tsukasa was once again aware of how he was barely keeping up. 

In the fray, he caught a glimpse of the smile on the king's face, which sent a jolt of excitement running through his body. He wasn't sure if he felt afraid, or weirdly delighted, but it was a sure sign that Leo had stamina that far exceeded his. Perhaps it wouldn't be a good tactic to draw this out for too long. Even though it was his strong point, Sena had warned him not to be too defensive. 

Very well, he thought. I promised to meet your challenge, after all. Quickly, he backed away, switched his footing, and returned a strike at the king, aiming at his side.

 

**Leo:** He was still in the middle of his attack when Tsukasa stepped back to finally go at him and Leo had only a while to defend himself. His stance wasn’t as clear as it could be, but once their blades struck together, he advanced without any hesitation, feeling that slowly he can put more and more power in his strikes. It wasn’t a sparring anymore and the knight had the very intention to stand up to his challenge, despite his disadvantage, and the king could feel it in his sword and moves so well.

“Do you feel that, Suo?” he asked excitedly, though he doubted the boy would get what he had in mind. This time his attack was clear, polished as he aimed over the knight’s arm. He didn’t plan to remain on defense after all. During trainings he was usually provoking him but in fact he loved to go all out at his opponent.

 

**Tsukasa:** Dealing with the king's bigger sword wasn't easy. Though Tsukasa felt much more comfortable with a lighter sword (his family heirloom, after all, was one such weapon), he felt the power in his strikes left something to be desired. And to compensate for power, he had to be quicker and drive the opponent's force away from him. Narukami, perhaps, was the most skilled at such a dance-like style... he mustn't get swept up in the king's pace. 

Do you feel that? the king had asked, but Tsukasa did not know what he meant. However, he'd never felt quite as calm when facing off against such a difficult opponent. It was almost... fun. He let the corners of his mouth turn up just a little. He retracted his arm and met the attack backhanded, turning his sword angle and deflecting the attack. Returning to his original stance, he tried for a thrust.

 

**Leo:** This pretty, dance-like style was finally back, but this time, Tsukasa wasn’t hesitating to put his all in it. The king didn’t work well with it in general, but it wasn’t a reason to back away before this novice. But seeing this little smile on his face he realized Suo probably was feeling exactly the same thing he did right now. This excitement and calmness, the one he could experience only in circumstances when he couldn’t afford to lose… The situation that could reveal full potential, and Leo’s goal was to bring it all out during this battle.

After parring his strike to the side he as well took a stance, resting his sword on his shoulder. Then, he took it in both hands to initiate a powerful blow he only hoped the knight is able to defend from. 

 

**Tsukasa:** Their swords met with a loud clang, and Tsukasa felt the vibration of the impact reach all the way down his body. He felt his own heels digging into the ground. He wondered if the king was testing his strength. It took a lot of concentration for him to brace himself against it, distributing his weight between both his feet to keep from being thrown off balance, bracing the end of his blade with his other hand. 

He caught a glimpse of the king's face as they were locked for a brief moment. Tsukasa narrowed his eyes at Leo from between his quivering arms. The king's strength was truly immense. 

Using the hilt of his blade, he turned the attack away from him. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest, his breathing getting heavier. Whether he was getting afraid, or feeling exertion on his body, he could tell this could only go on for a few hours at best.

 

**Leo:** Was that a bit too much..? Leo could see knight was having trouble with turning away his blade, but he couldn’t back off and show he’s not treating his efforts seriously, so he kept pushing until the boy managed to parry it properly. He jumped back, taking a solid stance, raising his blade horizontally in front of himself, looking at Tsukasa carefully. He wasn’t sure if pushing Tsukasa’s limits was a good idea, in the end he could seriously hurt him if the knight was stubborn on keeping his balance. It was naivety he had to get rid of at some point… Even if his honor and pride as a knight was at stake it meant nothing if the king seriously hurt him… Not to mention that wasn’t the best idea, to harm the heir of his main benefactors... Ah, politics stealing all his fun...

Thinking this all, the king let out a loud laugh and didn’t move an inch, this time waiting for Suo’s move. Hopefully a surprising one.

 

**Tsukasa:** Tsukasa's body still thrummed with the impact of their swords. Truly, he'd underestimated the king's sheer strength. He doubted he'd ever fought someone this physically strong before, and this difference and the fact that their sword types were even different made Tsukasa briefly imagine the king holding a whole bastard sword in one hand. With that strength, he could probably do it. 

He took a deep breath. He couldn't make any more mistakes like this. He took a moment to judge the space between him and his opponent, then rushed in, feinting to his left before twisting his body and taking a swing on the right at the king's side.

 

**Leo:** In the moment the knight rushed at him, the king realized how imprudent his stance was. The king stepped back, blocking the swing in the last second, switching his balance to the left before meeting Tsukasa’s blade. My, my how careless he got, not expecting the boy had it way more easier to attack him from every side with his one-handed sword. Because of that whole maneuver Leo was forced to put little power in his move, but enough to struggle for a while with the knight before deflecting his sword down.

The king sighed, feeling well this small exertion and after jumping to the right he took his sword in his left hand, driving out an attack at the arm that Tsukasa was holding his sword in. He got his lesson to not let his guard down too carelessly and realized it’s going to be a long, long duel…

 

**Tsukasa:** This time, though it was still a bit of a struggle, Tsukasa was prepared for the king's strength. He'd been right, Leo was strong enough to wield the huge sword with one hand. With his feint, he felt like he was actually getting somewhere. As long as he kept his head level, he might be able to prove his worth in this fight. 

In the corner of his eye, he saw the king switch hands and go straight for Tsukasa's sword arm. He hopped backward, meeting the king's strike backhanded. Meeting that tremendous strength once again was going to take its toll on his muscles, but for now he had to minimize their contact and play it safe until he found a moment to strike.

 

**Leo:** Even though keeping the fight going until Tsukasa gets exhausted was the king’s tactics from the very beginning, this duel was indeed a long and tiring one. Of course the knight was in defense more often and it seemed to be a good approach against Leo’s sheer power, but he made sure it’s quite a strain for boy. Leo was used to striking his enemy down fast and clear so even he started to feel exhausted, stretching the limits of his own stamina. 

But if he was in this state it meant only that Tsukasa was way past it and the king felt nothing but admiration to his strong will and determination. If only he made a mistake now… it was time to end it so the king stepped back, holding his sword in a strong grip in front of himself. His face was bloodied from tiny scratches and the look on his face was almost that of a carnivorous animal. He could still put his all in his attack sequence of a few small strikes before twisting his body and aiming for a strong blow, from which Tsukasa had to sacrifice his balance to defend.

 

**Tsukasa:** Though Tsukasa was definitely fit, dragging this pace on for such a long time was wearing his body down quite a bit. His legs were like jelly and his breathing quite ragged, and his armor was peppered with nicks and scratches and a few dents where he'd taken hits. His sides already felt very bruised where the king's sword had struck him. But, seeing even Leo start to look a bit tired and worn himself, Tsukasa could feel the determination willing his tired limbs to move.   
And yet, the king rushed at him with a renewed force, and though Tsukasa saw the attacks coming, his body refused to listen to him. Once again, he brought his sword up to meet the strike, but he couldn't exactly get his positioning right, and he felt his stomach do flips as he lost his footing and fell backward. No, no no he can't fall here, he had to--  
But he couldn't stop himself, and the feeling of the hard ground meeting his back felt like defeat.

 

**Leo:** At last the knight fell and Leo stood above him, breathing heavily, his sword down mostly because on this last attack he definitely put as much of his remaining strength as he could. He brushed his hair, wet from sweat, back from his face before looking at Tsukasa, who was lying down on the ground, utter defeat stuck on his pretty, young face. Ah… So it’s a moment he should declare his judgement once and for all… Or maybe, if the knight is able to get up they could continue? He didn’t have so much fun in so long and he couldn’t have enough of it yet.

Leo took a glance at the side of the fighting area, where his knights seemed to observe him intensely, their breathing almost stopped and he realized, his victory wouldn’t really be celebrated here. Honestly he had no say in it if Suou’s heir stays with them to begin with, his knights were already complete with him...

“Stand up.” he raised up his sword but only to pierce the ground with it as he used it as an obvious support, the look on his face almost as defeated as Tsukasa’s before he stared at him again, forcing a hard, resolute tone into his voice. “If you can stand up now, I have to admit you have the guts and determination to follow me from here… And bring me to a fall if I ever were to stray as a king.” he added, a thing no other knight had to swear before, but he firmly believed if someone could stop him out of loyalty to him, it had to be Tsukasa Suou.

 

**Tsukasa:** The air he was fighting to breathe through his lungs felt like it was burning. He hadn't been forced to the ground like this in so long, and though he had half-anticipated it, it was devastating. He bit his lip and turned his head to the side, fighting back the tears that were pricking his eyes. Yes, it was a bit humiliating, but he'd fought with everything he could. He should be satisfied enough with that, but, he couldn't handle the thought of being rejected here, separated from the elder knights he admired, and even partly, this man standing above him. 

But before he could allow himself to feel a bit upset, the king made an offer. A final, all-or-nothing offer that Tsukasa had no business refusing. Before thinking about it, he was already willing his tired muscles to move. His arms and legs were so sore he almost felt numb, and it was difficult to even get himself to sit up. But his life here depended on it, and soon enough he was on his shaky knees, using his sword as support to stand. 

He didn't think about how he could barely stay upright. His arm seemed to move on its own as he brought his sword up one more time, his grip quivering as he pointed it at Leo.  

"On the honor... of this sword..." he began, his voice weak. "I swear... to follow you... in good faith... as this life allows me." 

His sword clanged as it fell to the ground, and Tsukasa, his vision graying, followed suit. A sense of relief, and of satisfaction, was all that remained in him before he lost consciousness.

 

**Leo:** Even though Leo knew Tsukasa will try to stand up without hesitation, he couldn’t take his eyes off him, observing his every move and face, stained with exhaustion. Was he even conscious right now..? It didn’t matter, moreover he knew this sort of determination so well already. He could even tell the knight to fight him again and he’d do that without second thought. Even though he had no strength left for that.

But this was not the most shocking for the king as the knight lifted up his sword again, as if challenging him. Leo was almost ready to decline, knowing it’s really endangering the boy’s life, but then the blade slipped from Tsukasa’s weak grip, and his body moved basically without his will to catch in his arms the falling knight. He smiled with exertion, not ready for the taller man’s weight and the smile was followed by a loud laugh despite the knight being completely unconscious.

“You’re crazy! So naive, you could die now, Suo! You’re a really… interesting, little knight! I love you..!” he would continue but he could feel his knees losing their strength but he didn’t let go of Tsukasa as he hit the ground. It was a sign for his knights to rush in their direction and the duel finally ended. The king laughed once more, raising his hand to pat the young lord’s head. It was his sworn knight now and he had no idea if it was the right choice but as Arashi and Izumi reached them and took him from the king’s hands, Leo smiled, slowly trying to stand up with Ritsu’s help.

“My troublesome, young knight…” he sighed cheerfully, leaning on Ritsu’s arm. So now, after so many years, his loyal guard really took the shape he always wanted it to take. All thanks to one, spoiled kid from a rich family. He could only look forward to this knight’s growth from now on.


	3. Chapter 3

**Tsukasa:** When Tsukasa opened his eyes again, the first thing he noticed was how much his head hurt. It was like a terrible splitting headache the likes of which he'd never felt before. He tried to reach up to massage it a bit, but soon he noticed a second thing, that his body was extremely heavy. It felt oddly like he was stuck fast into the bed, unable to move his arms and legs. He made a mental noise of exasperation at himself. Did he really push himself this hard?  

Suddenly, the memories came flooding back to him - the clashing of swords, the sweat... his defeat. A different sort of heaviness befell him, and he stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling, a forlorn expression on his face. He recalled the feeling of the ground as he landed... and... the king had said something after that? 

"Ah..." He let out a noise of realization. He didn't get the feeling that he was completely unwelcome from the palace yet. With some effort, he moved his head to take a look around and breathed a sigh of relief. He was still here.  

That's when he caught a glimpse of something orange in the corner of his vision, and realized very quickly that the king was lying next to him, also covered in bandages. "Y-Your highness...?" he croaked out in his scratchy voice.

 

 **Leo:** He’s been pretty much dragged to bed and felt nothing but gratitude when Rittsu and Sena promised to take care of all business so he can rest for a few days. The king focused on watching over the youngest knight and if his wounds were properly taken care of before he allowed himself to slip into a deep, long sleep. 

Still, he woke up way before Tsukasa but his sore body refused to move much, so for the first time in a really long time he could spend it in bed, thinking about nothing in particular, glancing once in a while to see if the knight hasn’t woken up yet. After all staying still in one place wasn’t Leo’s forte unless he was thinking up new tactics and moves he’d wanted to try, but bed wasn’t the best place for that.

Finally, the redhead woke up and the king rose up in his place, leaning a bit in his direction from his own bed. “Suo!! You finally woke up, your king started to grow bored and worried that you hit the ground so hard and you left your body forever! Wahaha!!” he shouted with his usual energy, ignoring any tiredness he could feel, smiling widely at the boy. “That’s no good… but I won’t hold back next time either~!”

 

 **Tsukasa:** Tsukasa's first reaction was utter exhaustion. His head was already pounding, and no matter how much this man was the king, Tsukasa's headache was now his biggest adversary and all this energy and loudness sure didn't help. He could've snapped at Leo if he had the energy as well. But instead of feeling irritated, he sensed a warm feeling spreading throughout his body.  
Your king, Leo had said. So he really had been accepted into the ranks of the royal guard.  
"My king," he repeated, the words sounding new in his voice. "How can you be thinking about next time while in bed from the last fight?" He groaned. "Mind your injuries and rest!"

 

 **Leo:** “Injuries..?” The king stared at his new knight with confusion and he reached to his shirt to lift it up, displaying his torso, now carefully bandaged in a few places. With the countless old scars that decorated his body, the few bandages only seemed to fit in. “I’m alright, don’t worry! I might be a bit sore in a few places but you’re a few years too early to seriously hurt me! Wahaha!” Leo couldn’t help but laugh once again. He let go of his shirt and fell back on his pillows. “You’re growing so fast though, I’ll definitely keep checking on your progress, you chick knight haha… But first it's time for celebrations and ceremonies, right? I need to learn everything about my new knight~!” Leo pointed this out with a slightly singing voice as he looked at Tsukasa with a smile way softer this time.

Suou’s heir had no idea yet how much his position in the palace changed now that the king accepted him into his closest circle of knights. It probably already was a big sensation in the capital that king Leo’s royal guard after so many years is finally completed.

 

 **Tsukasa:** For a moment Tsukasa caught a glimpse of the king's body, crisscrossed with marks and scars everywhere, and his eyes went wide. He'd never seen someone so worn, what could he possibly have been through? The experience the king had piled up fighting wasn't something Tsukasa had ever understood, but in that moment he thought he'd gotten a bit closer to it. To the incredible battles Leo had been through that Tsukasa could only dream of.  
"Ah-- be careful, don't be so-- ouch!" Tsukasa tried to warn Leo not to be rough, but his sudden movement made him realize the aching in his body all over again. He grumbled and sunk into his pillows. "At least make an attempt to rest, my king. But, celebrations, huh... I take it I have been accepted. Though I am loathe to receive such news while bedridden, I cannot hide my relief and joy. The Suou family will honor your generosity, my king."

 

 **Leo:** Instead of listening to his knight and resting, Leo got up once more, leaving his bed and hissing from the slight pain as he approached Tsukasa’s bed, carefully sitting on the side. 

“For a knight that looked down on me at first you have certainly did all you could to earn your place in my personal guards, Tsukasa Suou. I expect a lot from you.” The king said in a soft but serious tone and his fingers wandered up the outline of Tsukasa’s body, covered under a blanket. Once reaching the shoulder, Leo patted it few times. “You will be up in no time, it’s just exhaustion. Meanwhile… I’m honestly bored! No one will let me out from here at least for today, do you perhaps… have some games you enjoy? Questions you’d like to ask? We have so much time..!” the king threw his hands up and leaned back, ready to fall next to the knight, but the sudden movement made him flinch in pain and Leo curled in himself a bit. Realizing the knight is watching him, he straightened up fast and smiled at him. 

“Guess my body isn’t as young anymore, wahaha!”

 

 **Tsukasa:** "You are much too energetic for anyone to consider you old..." Tsukasa narrowed his eyes at the king wiggling around on his bed. Perhaps the injuries were not as light as Leo had made them out to be. It made Tsukasa dutifully worried, of course, but even stronger was this mysterious feeling of frustration that the king still managed to be so energetic while Tsukasa was basically bedridden. Difference in strength and stamina aside, was Tsukasa really still this far away from even being in an actual battle? If he could not match up to the king's strength soon... he had to catch up, was all he could think.

"Games? Questions...?" he echoed. Certainly, he hadn't even had the time to think of such things, and he was even a bit embarrassed to find himself confused about what to talk about. He hadn't had a moment like this with Leo, well, ever. But there was one, nagging question he'd bit back. "A bit trivial, but I am curious... why do you insist on using such a large sword?" He frowned as his body ached with the memory of those heavy strikes. "For someone of your... er... stature, is it not inefficient...?"

 

 **Leo:** Here it was. The knight picked on his height once more and weirdly he didn’t feel irritated this time, but this didn’t stop him from leaning towards him and catching Tsukasa’s nose between his fingers.

“Huh?! Sounds like I didn’t discipline you with it enough! Wahaha! Come forth Suo, I’ll beat into you not picking on your king you can’t even win with!” laughing, Leo almost forgot about his question. “And I just said you’re learning fast? You’re a funny guy, Suo! But you actually asked something? Hmmm, hmmm. There is no story though! I was using two blades at first but aren’t big swords impressive? Wahaha! It’s like it will stay will me to my grave now!” Leo sighed after laughing so much and during his chaotic response the light in his eyes flickered. But the past never was something he was happy to share. Others could write songs about it but the king never added to them.

“You’ll learn soon that this legendary king isn’t anyone fascinating, Suo~.”

 

**Tsukasa:**   “Gahh--!” Normally Tsukasa would’ve struggled a bit because seriously, was he being treated like a kid? But in this state he could really only let out a groan of protest. “Do not beat up an injured person, must you resort to violence so quickly every time? Using a big sword because it is impressive… honestly, I cannot understand.” He indignantly rubbed his nose.

But once the king calmed down, Tsukasa noticed a shadow fall over him. Though he’d been wishing for Leo to be quieter this whole time, it felt mysteriously lonely when it actually happened. Tsukasa furrowed his brow. It wasn’t like him to be emotionally thrown around this much. “And yet you say ‘legendary’, as if having your praises sung throughout the lands is not fascinating enough…” He gazed at Leo intently. “I’ll have you know, my king, even I of House Suou have heard so many tales of your deeds… as a knight who now serves you, I am certainly intrigued to hear such stories from your own mouth.” He has always heard of the king he serves, but he does not truly know his king yet, does he…? 

 

 **Leo:** “You know now that these tales hold many lies, huh?” The king caught himself in an odd mood. Letting himself relax so much with someone he didn’t quite know yet. Or was he..? He learned a lot about the younger man’s naivety and stubbornness through their sparrings, surely. There was also this innocence and determination he himself used to have so long ago, so perhaps that was it..? 

“People sing about everything, my young knight. One careless move and you’re a dead man on their mouth.” he presented Tsukasa a mysterious smile before standing up. “You’re one of the king’s guard now Suo, in no time you will know everything you need about me and so will I about you.” Leo sat back on his bed, observing the knight carefully. Maybe he was even too careful, he realized but truly, talking about himself was one of things he enjoyed doing the least.

“My turn now~ Why do you want to serve me so much, even after seeing I’m doing everything to make you give up?”

 

**Tsukasa:**     Tsukasa followed the king with his eyes, felt the weight lift from his bed and saw the distance between them widen. Whether Leo had intended it or not, Tsukasa felt the king was backing off from him a bit. As Leo said, they would have plenty of time to know things about each other, but he couldn't help the little feeling of curiosity churning in his stomach.

At Leo's question, he frowned. "Is the answer to that not clear already, my king? I was a proud fool, thinking it was a simple thing to be in the kingsguard... I was merely meeting the challenge presented to me. It was a lesson for an inexperienced person... if you will. And..." He let his thoughts sort themselves out for a moment. "I must now ask, what sort of king asks his knight, a member of the guard tasked with protecting his life, why he wants to serve him? Is it not a natural desire for a knight to have? A knight must give his life for this noble purpose." He stared up at the ceiling, his eyes sparkling as he remembered the tales he'd heard. Tales of honor and valor, tales of the king taking down his enemies and establishing an order for the good of all.

 

 **Leo:** “What sort of a king? Are you still criticizing me, Suo?!” Leo’s eyes went wide at the knight’s passionate words. His eyes were sparkling and the king felt almost… overwhelmed with the picture of him the man had. They barely knew each other and Suou’s heir was all determined to give away his life for him. For a man that mocked him to the point he snapped, well aware he’ll be facing serious consequences.

He both felt fascinated and slightly scared with such devotion. And yet, Tsukasa himself was so innocent, so untainted… He almost wanted to be the king this young knight believed he is. From his mouth escaped a soft, honest laugh.

“You’re giving your life to a man you know nothing about and tell me it’s natural. Suo, you’re such a cute knight! So pure! Wahaha!” Leo couldn’t help but shake his head, still disbelieving a bit. “You’re going to be the death of me…” he added in a whisper, lowering his gaze a little before raising up his head again. “You seem to not realize it just yet but the kingsguard is like a family to me. You entered the circle of people the most important to me, Suo.” His tone was completely serious as he stared right at Tsukasa’s eyes.

 

**Tsukasa:**   "A family..." Tsukasa returned Leo's gaze, his expression a bit surprised. He'd never really imagined a king and his subjects to be this close, but as he thought back over the kind guidance his seniors had given him, it didn't seem so strange. Is this what it meant to become a knight...?

"Well, my king," he continued, clearing his throat. The 'pure' comment had made him a bit embarrassed, but he pressed on. "Family, ally, inner circle, what have you, my life is now yours, as the newest member of the kingsguard. But it would be a lie to say I did not wish to know more..."

He watched Leo, studying the king's face. It only seemed like, after the distance had widened a bit, Tsukasa could finally really contemplate the idea that the man in front of him is the man of the tales he's heard. Tales of valor they were, yes, but the king he knew here was also so loud, sometimes irritating, strangely mysterious, and even a bit dark at times... truly, it was fascinating. The curious feeling in his stomach only grew stronger. "I only hope to get to know the man I will devote myself to."

 

 **Leo:** “You keep saying that…” Leo sighed deeply, seeing the observant gaze on himself, so instinctively he lowered head a little. Perhaps it was too long since he accepted another knight to his closest circle and years of mistrust and expecting enemies to go for his head had made him too guarded now when someone so innocent and naive looked at him with such sparkling eyes, believing he’s the man from tales.

“I have made many, many mistakes in the past that no tale will tell you about, Suo. I’ve done things no one would be proud of, as well. I’m sure to share some of these tales with you… I do owe you that for offering your life to me so easily… Ahh! I’m so curious how your vows will sound! You’re such an interesting knight! Wahaha…” The king was loud again as he stood up and returned to Tsukasa’s bed, this time without hesitation lying next to him on the huge bed and staring up at the ceiling. “Did you serve anyone before or has your father sent you straight to me? You seem to be born a knight ahh… but yes, now it’s your turn to ask, if you still have questions. I like this game but let’s not get too informative! There is a certain joy in learning about someone through observation as well! I got to know Naru like this wahaha!”

 

 **Tsukasa:**   "...Ngh..." Just as he was feeling so intrigued, the king was pretty much laughing right in his ear again. And it was certainly odd, to be covered in bandages, barely mobile, and lying in bed next to the king of his country. But it wasn't unpleasant, and Tsukasa found himself questioning his feelings. When did he start to tolerate this? Was it after they crossed blades or when he was told he was a member of the royal guard?

"To answer your question, no, I have not served anyone before. I did not truly complete my training as an heir to the Suou family until recently... I could not leave until my father was satisfied. Yet it still seems I have much to learn..." He stared up, feeling the warmth of the king next to him. "If you will allow me again... I want to ask why you use such strange names. Naru... Suo... While I am glad to have a name beyond newbie, it seems rather eccentric for the royal court."

 

 **Leo:** “Boooring!!” Leo groaned at the knight’s question and he sighed deeply. “You take so much importance in names and titles, don’t you Suo? How do I answer the boy like you? Hmmm, hmmm…” the king sat up, closing his eyes, with concentration on his face as if he was thinking about something really complicated. 

“Ah I know! Of course, I’m a genius after all!” he exclaimed excitedly after a while. “Suo is Suo, right? Only I get to call you Suo, nobody else! Wahaha! You’re my Suo! My Naru! My Sena! My Rittsu~! My knights that I love! Wahaha! The answer is so simple you didn’t have to ask and imagine it yourself!” Leo presented Tsukasa a wide smile before sighing, feeling soreness in all places he overused this whole time, moving so much. 

He couldn’t help his excitement however. Not only because he was bored and would be chased back to bed once he’d leave this hospital room but also it was their first talk like this. Leo already got to know his knight a lot during their sparrings, but he didn’t lie when he said he’s going to learn everything about Tsukasa Suou. And these details only confirmed that Tsukasa Suou was just a stubborn, naive kid full of dreams. And that was oddly relaxing for him.

“Ah, everything still hurts a bit…” he sighed, lying back down and curling up a little.

 

**Tsukasa:**   "Then it is better to rest instead of flailing about. Your wounds will reopen," Tsukasa chided. The king's energy was truly astounding. He reminded Tsukasa of a bird, taking flight at the smallest stimulus, too slippery and too unpredictable to grasp between his fingers. But perhaps that was why he was so intrigued. Why he wanted so badly to connect the valiant leader of the tale of the Suou family with the man lying next to him.

My Suo. My Naru. My Sena. My Rittsu. Every name sounded warm in the king's voice. "Family..." Tsukasa muttered to himself. It was a strange concept to him, whose family was always his strict father, his proud mother, their loyal retainers, the name, "Suou". And yet with this ragtag family, in the inner circle of the castle, the gazes the other knights directed toward their king seemed to hold something deep and incomprehensible.

Tsukasa sighed deeply. Certainly, he had much to think about and much to learn being a member of this royal guard. But the aches in his muscles wore at him, and the presence of the king was oddly comforting, and he closed his eyes. Surely the best thing to do now would be to listen to his own advice and rest.

 

 **Leo:** “My Suo…” Leo repeated quietly this new name, new addition to his family and hummed it few more times before looking up at the knight again, seeing he had his eyes closed, perhaps slowly falling asleep.

“Ahh… You sure overexerted yourself yesterday, didn’t you?” The king’s voice became soft and warm once he pulled himself up on his arms to look at Tsukasa’s face with a smile, as if he was looking at his own child. With no hesitation he reached up and stroked his red hair a bit before lying down once more and curling up, deciding to try and sleep as well, no matter how unlikely it was for him. He won’t have a chance to be just lazy anytime soon again after all.

“Rest up, Suo~” Leo said only and closed his eyes, still lying next to him.  

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Tsukasa:**   “Tsukasa-chan, if you worry so much, you’re going to get creases in your skin…” 

The blond knight sighed, clicking the last of Tsukasa’s armor into place and handing him his sword, the heady scent of new leather tickling their noses.

"I realize this is no time to be nervous, Narukami-senpai. But..." He turned from the unnerved eyes in the mirror to meet Arashi's concerned expression. "I cannot help but feel anxious. There will be skilled fighters from all across the kingdom... as a member of the kingsguard, I cannot bring shame to the throne. If I had gone through more training..."

"Tsukasa-chan," Arashi interrupted. "You've been one of us for a few months already, and you haven't even skipped a day of training. I am sure you'll do us all proud. Have a little more faith in yourself, alright?" Arashi brushed a lock of red hair behind Tsukasa's ear and gave his shoulder a firm pat.

"Even if you fail, it's not like the rest of us aren't here to show them who's really in power," grumbled a voice from the corner of the tent.

"Izumi-chan... don't hurt anyone too badly, okay? We can't have any casualties during his grace's birthday celebrations."

"Hah...? Tell that to Kuma-kun. He's stronger than the rest of us combined."

"Ah... Well, I can't argue with that. I just hope he stays within... common sense." Arashi sighed again, brushing off the dirt from Tsukasa's breastplate. "There, now, you're all pretty for your entrance. Go show them your strength."

Tsukasa nodded, his breath a bit shaky as he parted with his seniors for his first tournament battle. He of course had reason to be nervous. It was a strange thing for him to fight a stranger, for sure, since he didn't know what to expect in terms of ability. It was a bit fresh to have such an audience too, of course. But perhaps worst of all was catching that pair of green eyes watching him as he walked out, hand on the hilt of his sword, straightening up his back like a proper Suou and now a member of the esteemed kingsguard, and the eyes of the king felt like a divine judgment looking down on him.

Calm down, Suou Tsukasa. This is not the first time you're being evaluated. He inhaled and exhaled. Though he thought he could feel Leo's eyes boring into the back of his head, he readied himself for the fight ahead, senses heightened.

 

**Leo:** It was sort of a tradition since he established his rule to hold a knights tournament on his name’s day. Being a crowned head, he couldn’t participate in any fights anymore other than leading his corps to the battle but even the thrill of war was slowly passing away, hopefully. The best he could have now were sparrings on training grounds and watching all these knights competing with each other to honor him. 

Of course, it was also a perfect occasion for lords from every corner of the kingdom to show up, deliver the news or ask for a favor or two. While his knights were fighting and displaying the power of royal guard (except for Ritsu that seemed to be trying his best to avoid it while being his personal guard today) he was sitting next to the representative of the Akatsuki Alliance and his old friend, Keito Hasumi.

“It’s good the protection over the kingdom’s borders is growing stronger,” Leo pointed out, mildly (very) distracted as he was carefully looking at the arena, expecting his youngest knight to appear there any minute.

“You don’t have to worry about external invasions, Tsukinaga. You and Eichi have a truce, don’t you?” Hasumi sighed while sipping the wine from his glass. “You still have small problems within your own country.”

“You never know what to expect with that prick emperor,” the king mumbled to himself, straightening up once he saw the familiar tomato hair appearing. “But if hell isn’t breaking loose, it can wait, right? Wahaha! It’s my birthday, Keito, so drink up! I’m sure fairies and giants can deal well with tiny inconveniences themselves~” he glanced at his friend for a while but his gaze momentarily returned to Tsukasa Suou, his newest kingsguard, showing his strength in the official tournament for the first time since he started living in the king’s court. Wasn’t he a bit too tense..? It was so easy to tell after the few first strikes and Leo couldn’t help but worry a little. Still, it was his first tournament…

“I wish you stopped letting the Aoi twins do as they please on your lands though… Is that the knight you gave a huge beating to before accepting to your ranks?”

Leo didn’t respond, watching as Tsukasa managed to pull himself together and, miraculously using the chance his opponent had given him, proceeded to his next fight. He couldn’t really expect his knight to unprecedentedly crush his opponents, could he? Hopefully he won’t push himself too much in this tournament. Leo couldn’t help but worry over his knight a bit.

 

**Tsukasa:**   He didn't expect fighting in any tournament to be easy, but the opponents he faced went above and beyond what he'd expected. Warriors, lords, knights from powerful to minor houses were scattered across the rankings, and Tsukasa was once again made aware of the small, small world of the Suou lands he'd come from. Some of these were of old names, the ones that passed in front of his eyes as he'd pored over the heavy, thickly bound books in his family's library. Some were new and unfamiliar, only heard on the lips of his mentor after the usurpation of the throne of the Demon King. It was an honor to be able to cross swords with names such as Kanzaki with years and years of tradition backing strong technique, of course, though Tsukasa even found himself foiled by fighters who didn't know who he was. 

A boy who'd introduced himself as Tomoya proved to be a surprisingly difficult adversary. Though Tsukasa was sure of his victory, he could still feel the eyes of the king on him. As he chanced a glance over and caught that green gaze, he faltered a little, letting his footing get the better of him and allowing Tomoya a chance at his armor. Tsukasa could almost feel his heart jump out of his throat, but he quickly gained ground again.

"Suu-chan, nice work~" Ritsu said, greeting Tsukasa with a sweat cloth and some water from the shade of the tent. "That boy with the cute face had you running around in circles for a while, huh... good thing you learned strategy from me. Make sure to thank me." He gave a sly smirk.

Tsukasa bowed and began to sip at the water. "Yes, thank you very much, Ritsu-senpai..." he murmured, remembering the bout just before. It was a pleasure to fight you, Master Suou, the unknown boy had said to him, a smile greeting the blade of defeat.

"Are you thinking of unnecessary stuff?" Ritsu poked at Tsukasa's head, earning a small yelp. "You did good. Ousama was watching you intently, you know..."

"He... He was...?" Tsukasa felt his pulse quicken. Right, he had stumbled a bit in that fight... What had the king thought? Had he fought honorably?

Nervous, he took a glance out of the tent in Leo's direction.

 

**Leo:** The king couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh of relief once his knight left the arena victorious and disappeared in the tent. Taking a deep, celebratory sip from his goblet Leo leaned on his chair, remembering how the boy brought defeat to the other young knight.

“Your youngest sure has a long way to go, he barely won here.” Hasumi tried to bring him back down to earth and Leo laughed loudly in response.

“He does! He’s such a stubborn and diligent chick though! If given enough stimulus he’ll catch up to his seniors quickly, wahaha! I can’t wait to see how he’ll handle your knights!”

“He has no chances in the slightest,” answered Keito objectively. “The Akatsuki Alliance grew very strong, I doubt even you would be able to catch up with Kiryuu now.”

“What an unfair judgement! I’d gladly challenge your best knights right in this moment!” Leo exclaimed pouting a bit, his gaze still focused on the tent. Did he catch Suo looking in his direction? Just in case he raised up his hand to wave with a wide smile in response.  He couldn’t wait to see the boy back in fight soon.

“Stop being a fool, Tsukinaga. You might be still that ridiculous man that uses a longsword because a normal one is too light for you and doesn’t make a satisfying  _ clang, _ but no one who believes you’re the king of these lands would accept a challenge from a crowned head.”

“And  _ shaaa _ as my opponent’s blade runs up my sword’s length!” Leo added cheerfully, but his attitude became pouty almost right away. “Suo accepted my challenge though! And he’s my guard!!”

“...I know you long enough to know that you pushed him to the point he had no other choice, Tsukinaga.” The only response to Keito’s words was a sly grin, so he only sighed, adjusting his glasses. “As long as he does his job of protecting you well it’s none of my business anyway.”

 

**Tsukasa:**   So, the king seemed to be in a good mood? Tsukasa felt relief, even some unfounded delight seeing Leo approve of his fight. He smiled softly, giving the king a short bow.

There was a soft giggle, and letting the tent flap fall, he turned to see Ritsu had been watching him. "He sure has taken a liking to you, Suu-chan."

"Is that so? It would please me greatly to know I am serving his grace well..."

"It's not just that..." Ritsu stroked his chin thoughtfully, a smirk playing on his face. "Mmm... but maybe it's more fun to let you figure that out by yourself. Or less work for me, anyway."

"Not just serving? What does that even mean? Is there something more I should be doing for my king?" Tsukasa frowned, affixing his sword to his waist once more.

"Not should, but perhaps... could." Ritsu half-muttered to himself, turning back to collect some things inside and pointedly ending the conversation.

The other knights ended their subsequent matches in victory, and Tsukasa watched in awe as their points total climbed higher and higher. A strange mix of strength and uneasiness twisting in his stomach, Tsukasa waited for the beginning of his second appearance. He'd never tried this with anyone in the capital, not even Leo, but he didn't intend to keep it a secret for much longer that fighting on horseback was his forte. As he mounted his horse, he felt a renewed energy, the reins a familiar comfort in his hands.

The opponent facing him was someone he'd had the pleasure of meeting only once before, the noble Lord Hokuto of House Hidaka. While the man was extremely skilled, Tsukasa felt completely in his element, his focus honed into the tip of his sword and the opponent charging at him, and the world outside, even the king, was far from his mind. It was not long until he'd managed to topple the eastern lord from his horse with a perfectly calculated move, earning a scream of surprise from the onlookers and a fountain of victory points for the kingsguard.

Amidst the smattering of applause (and Arashi's loud cries of "Tsukasa-chan, that was so cool!!"), Tsukasa found himself looking toward the king again, a more confident, solid expression on his face. More than approval, more than anything, he was curious what Leo's reaction to his new display of skill was.

 

**Leo:** In all honesty, the longer the tournament lasted the more drunk the king and the head of the Akatsuki Alliance were becoming. From serious, political disputes their conversation topics switched to the old days when they fought and trained together, to even primitive subjects (as Keito would say if he was sober enough) such as which knight fighting right now appeals to them - and it wasn’t about only technique or equipment.

“Why am I asking, you’d tell the whole population of your kingdom they’re beautiful, Tsukinaga.” Hasumi shook his head, giggling a bit, unable to keep his stern attitude anymore.

“So whaaat.” Leo leaned to him a bit, wide smile on his mouth despite a pouty tone. “Doesn’t that make me a great king! Wahaha!”

“It doesn’t. Just says you have low standards-”

“Shhh!!” Suddenly the lord from the south was silenced as horseback fights have started and Suou’s heir was back on the fighting arena, on his horse, proud and comfortable as if he was born a young lord on a horse long, long ago. It was a surprise for the king, at least. Has Tsukasa ever looked so impressive on the ground when facing him? A jolt of excitement ran through his body as the battle with Lord Hidaka begun. The boy was clearly focused only on it, like never before, and Leo couldn’t help but forget for a while about his companion, following the movements of his knight, astonished. The confidence Suo carried himself with on a horse was nothing like anything he displayed in the kingsguard so far. It wasn’t the arrogance he arrived with but actual experience and the king found himself gasping when the boy delivered a finishing, victorious blow, throwing his opponent off his horse. And Leo stood up, delighted, clapping his hands like crazy, staring straight at his knight proud and amazed.

“That was your personal best, Suo!!” he shouted though in the crowd’s hubbub. It was probably impossible to hear him. Seeing him standing, people were slowly calming down, as if expecting him to say something, but the king was only standing with his cheeks flushed (not only from the alcohol), looking as his knight and raising up his cup in his own toast before sitting down.

“I had no idea he’s so good on a horse!” Leo explained cheerfully to Keito, not caring much that people still looked at him. The man smiled in a response. 

“You sure have taken a liking to your new guard, hm?”

In the end, the kingsguard knights and Akatsuki Alliance’s Kiryuu and Kanzaki were the heroes of the tournament with kingsguard winning first place overall and Kiryuu overpowering all other knights that were present in the tournament. The king rewarded the victorious knight and wished for the Alliance to remain friends of the capital, to which Keito Hasumi confirmed he has no intentions to serve any other king. Afterwards, Leo invited all lords and knights to a feast crowning his name’s day. Using this short opportunity he ran to his knights’ tent.

“Suo~! Why you didn’t tell me?” he asked loudly in the entrance.

 

**Tsukasa:**   "Ahhh Tsukasa-chan, that was so inspiring! Come, come, let's get you cleaned up!"

Winded, Tsukasa let himself be dragged into their tent. The screams of the onlookers still rang in his ears like a victory fanfare, his hair was still ruffled from the exhilarating fight, and the clearly proud, happy faces of his seniors were still right there to greet him. As Arashi pressed a towel to his face and Ritsu helped him remove his armor, Tsukasa found himself still reeling from the excitement.

The king had stood up for him, applauded. The king he'd spent so many days trying to match up to. He'd never felt as electrified as when their eyes met, Leo staring back at him with pride. It was strange, how whenever he had moments like these, whether it be his initiation, their fight months ago, Tsukasa's first tournament... Leo was always there, ready to sing the praises of the moment.

"Kasa-kun, you've been hiding this from us all this time?"

A sharp voice snapped him out of his reverie. Ritsu and Arashi had finished, and Izumi was there to watch after him as the scores were being tallied. The head of the kingsguard had an almost cocky smirk on his face.

"That was not my intention..."

"Then tell us sooner. I would've had all the more reason to convince that stubborn Ousama to let you in... well, I guess it doesn't matter now. That guy was one very stupidly excited drunk up there." Izumi shrugged. "Good job."

Tsukasa watched, wide-eyed, as Izumi left the tent. Praise from his surly trainer as well? Surely this day could not be any better for him.

The results were beyond satisfactory, knights clearing the board across all the activities, though the formidable warrior from House Kiryu was something to be feared as he easily took the place of top scorer. Tsukasa felt a huge rush of pride in the efforts of himself and the rest of the royal guard. They really were talented, fit to stand by the king's side...

As yet the king flew to his side instead, wild, merry, smelling like dust and alcohol.

"Did... you mean the horseback fighting? I had not intended to keep it a secret, your grace," he answered with a bow of his head, knightly manners immediately returning to him. "I had no opportunity... but truthfully, I am honored to have contributed to the glory of the kingsguard on this day." His words were humble, but his face glowed with pride.

 

**Leo:** Maybe all the wine he drank with Keito made him feel more intensely than usual, or it _was_ something usual, but the king couldn’t help but stare at his youngest knight proudly, as if it was his own son that did so well in the official tournament.

“Cavalry it is, then? Finally something that suits your shining armor! The way you sparkle on a horse would make your enemies tremble in fear from afar! Wahahaha!” chirped Leo as he took a few steps in Tsukasa’s direction before jumping and hanging his arms around his youngest knight’s neck.

“You did so well Suo! I’m so proud! Wahaha! You’re catching up to your seniors so fast!” Still holding the boy in his strong grip, he looked around at other knights, noticing their little smiles. “What’s up with you all? No, wait! I know! Let me guess it! I know these smirks so well! Mmm, mmm… You lot want your praises too!”

There was a momentary silence in the tent afterthe king’s words, followed by the sound of Izumi slapping his face with his palm, which was still in a metal gauntlet, so his cursing was the next thing that could be heard.

“Damn it, ousama. You’re so dumb when you’re drunk!” the guards commander groaned while Ritsu and Arashi started giggling.

“I don’t know Secchan. I, for once, would love to receive ousama’s praise,” Ritsu remarked, his eyes sparkling playfully as he looked at their king. 

“Let’s not be so rash, Ritsu-chan. Our king wishes to spoil his youngest knight first but I’m sure he didn’t forget about us. Besides, ousama’s praises are Tsukasa-chan’s favorite, right?”

 

**Tsukasa:** It took only a few moments for the blood to rush up to Tsukasa's cheeks. It didn't help that the king now had him locked in an embrace, the scent of alcohol pricking Tsukasa's nose. "F-Favorite... You are not poking fun at me, Narukami-senpai? It is true that his grace's words of praise are beyond the measure of worth, and that they bring me such honor, but to say they are my favorite..."  

"Ugh, Tsukasa-chan, you could be a  _ little _ cuter about this," Arashi replied unhelpfully.  

Tsukasa glanced down at the small, smiling figure in his arms, and suddenly felt quite overwhelmed. Maybe the heady closeness of Leo was getting to him. "My king... I do realize you have drained our resources of alcohol, but please refrain from such open displays of affection. Do we not have a banquet to attend?" He chose instead to caution, ignoring the swirling of warm strangeness piling up in his chest. He placed his hands on Leo's arms and gently attempted to free himself from the king's grip.

 

**Leo:** “Ahaha! Implying I’m already this drunk, Suo~? I still can be a good host at the banquet!” The king smiled wide, and seeing Tsukasa’s gesture he set the boy free.

“It’s true, sadly. This idiot has a really strong head and unnecessarily good memory at the moment.” Izumi groaned to the redhead’s even louder laugh.

“Sena, don’t say that or Suo will never drink with me! And he will tonight, right?” Leo glanced at Tsukasa, happy smile on his face. “I promise to take care of you, haha! But now, more importantly, before we leave… All of you, bow a little! Like this!” Folding his hand behind his back, Leo leaned a little forward and straightened back almost instantly, smiling softly and observing if his knights were following him. Most did, Izumi hesitating a little, and in a few long steps the king was next to him.

“Sena, you guided my knights so well, like always.” he said, taking his knight’s head in both hands and placing a kiss on his forehead, before the guards commander shook him off, grimacing but nodding his head.

“Shut up, Kuma-kun,” he mumbled to giggling Ritsu who was next in line.

“Secchan, you like ousama’s praises quite a bit too~”

“And you Rittsu did so well too! I’m so proud of my guardsmen~” The king reached to him, placing the same kiss on a vampire’s forehead. Then on Arashi’s that couldn’t help but point out how cute their king is.

Finally, Leo stood in front of his youngest knight, an odd warmth tucking around his chest.

“Suo~ You represented me and the kingdom so proudly today. You truly are my knight now~” he said, before reaching for the boy’s forehead.

 

**Tsukasa:**   The moment the king stepped away, the giant grin replaced by the softest smile, he seemed to all at once be wrapped in a gentle, regal air. Tsukasa glanced at the other knights' rather comical, relaxed reactions, as if they'd been through all this before. What a whimsical, capricious king.

When it came to Tsukasa's turn, he couldn't believe how different this gesture was from Leo's rather rough embrace just a few moments ago. Perhaps it was because of those precious words of praise preceding it, but Tsukasa felt his heart flutter at the feeling of the king's lips on his forehead. It was warm, and gentle. It was like a little ritual, tying him to the others through Leo.

"My king..." he began, staring at Leo with hints of wonder in his eyes. "It is my only wish to serve you and bring you honor to my greatest ability. I am humbly delighted to receive such words. I will drink in your honor tonight."

"Kasa-kun, you don't know what you're getting into," Izumi sighed.

"Yeah, neither I or Ousama have forgotten that time Secchan burst out into drunk tears at our first royal feast. He was a total mess~"

"Kuma-kun, you're just asking to be strangled, aren't you?"

"Please, that's enough violence for today. You boys are so ready to go at each other's throats all the time..." Arashi shook his head. 

"I know not what you speak of, but surely a feast cannot be such a sad occasion, Sena-senpai...?"

"Hah? Of course it wasn't sad, I was just...! Ugh, that doesn't matter, let's hurry up and go already."

The captain of the guard gestured for the rest of them to follow along. It wouldn't be prudent to keep their visitors waiting, his demeanor seemed to say.

 

**Leo:** Having delivered his kisses and praises, Leo took a step back to look at his knights with a soft smile, observing their little fight. His knights certainly were an extraordinary but also such a warm family he wouldn’t exchange for anything. Seeing Sena’s nagging gestures he decided to cling to the youngest knight once more, a wide but gentle smile still on his face.

“And? Feeling at home already, Suo? It might be a weird family but it’s nice, right?” he laughed while Arashi looked at him reproachfully.

“Ousama, that’s mean when you are the weirdest one!”

“Wahaha! That’s true but I love that! And I love how odd you guys are!” His response only caused the blonde to shake his head so Leo took it as an opportunity to return to Tsukasa.

“But Suo~ Come on, let’s fight on horseback later, Suo~! That’s a challenge!! If I won’t drink too much today I promise to remember!! You had fun on a horse, it’s the first time i saw you enjoying the thrill of a serious fight like this!” Whining like this, he also the dragged young knight with him, making sure they head in the feast’s direction. The weather on this day was beautiful so they decided to hold it under a huge tent outside the castle. Celebrating always felt the best outside.

 

**Tsukasa:**     "W-Wait...! Of course, I would be honored to-- Your grace, ah...!" Tsukasa felt a bit winded being dragged around, but he also felt a warmth blooming in his chest, a rush going through him. Leo had compared them all to a family, and truly, it did start to feel like that... Tsukasa had never had any siblings, but he wondered if this would be what it's like. 

As they entered the feast, Tsukasa found himself surrounded with all sorts of noble folks praising him on his skills on horseback, telling him about so-and-so's connection with the Suou family, mentioning his little slip-ups on foot, some even shyly looking up at him over their hands and telling him he was even more handsome up close (to which he graciously responded). It was all so overwhelming, but he treated it as yet another test of his new status. ("Tsukasa-chan is so popular!" Arashi had commented. "Narukami-senpai, I daresay you have a number of fans yourself," he'd replied.)

Lord Hokuto of Hidaka was one of such who approached him with a pleasantly cool smile and an outstretched hand. "You are a talented individual, my young lord," he said in a calm, even voice. "Such talent deserves to be celebrated."

Tsukasa bowed deeply and thanked him for the fair fight they had earlier. Lord Hokuto's expression never changed, but his deep blue eyes seemed to pin Tsukasa to the spot. "I pray your powers will continue to serve the good of the realm," the lord said, before turning on his heel and returning to his seat.

Tsukasa looked after him with curiosity. He seemed to be a very poised, respectable lord, but there was something missing in that smile of his... but Tsukasa decided not to think too deeply about it, not when there were festivities to be had, and a king to drink to.

 

**Leo:** Once he was led to his seat by Tsukasa, Leo sat down, his careful gaze running from one guest to the other as if confirming he invited them all to this feast. Honestly, after the tournament, in the feast alone he didn’t have much to do but drink and listen to some nobles, wishing him long life and health. But other than this no one really was bothering him. The king sighed deeply, wishing he could spend this day with Ruka, his little sister he hasn’t seen in years already. Ah, he really missed her so much… 

“Ahh ousama… is that your yearly hour of wails after a bottle of wine?” Indeed, he was hanging his head low thinking of his precious sister when the oldest knight leaned on his chair with a little smile. “It’s almost a pity an immortal like me cannot accompany you in your journey of alcohol and nostalgy.” Ritsu chuckled while Leo turned around to throw his arms in his direction, catching his neck.

“Rittsuuu!”

“Ousama..! You’re heavy… I deserve a drink and rest instead, ask Secchan to baby you…”

“I don’t want Senaa, Rittsu!! Drink with me!!” The king wasn’t even that drunk yet, but rather in a desperate need for a company. Ritsu realized that but definitely, he didn’t want to listen to him whining about his sister the entire evening. He looked around, his face expressing the suffering of thousands until his gaze fell on the youngest of guardsmen and a sly smile appeared on his face. 

“Ousama, what about your toast with Suu-chan?” Ritsu asked softly and that managed to make the hold on his neck loosen up and Leo looked at him impatiently.

“You’re right! Suo, where is my Suo~?!” The question had to be asked, to which Ritsu only pointed a finger in boy’s direction as an answer.

“Suo~!!” The king has shouted cheerfully, without much care for sudden commotion he’s causing. 

 

**Tsukasa:**   True to his promise, Tsukasa kept his goblet full and close as the party went on. He'd never been to a celebration on this scale before, and perhaps it was the atmosphere, but he was feeling very merry and more talkative than usual. He found himself quite engrossed in the stories and gossip the courtiers were telling him, hearing all sorts of bits and pieces about lord who's-it and lady so-and-so.

"Sena-senpai, did you hear that in the north, they eat horses?" he'd said to Izumi as he made his rounds around the crowd.

"Kasa-kun, don't believe everything you hear. People will repeat anything for their personal intrigue." Izumi's expression hardened a bit. "It's best not to bother with stuff like that. Just focus on yourself."

Tsukasa pouted, excitement dulled for a moment. "Anyway... you sure seem more talkative than usual today. I daresay the smile on your face when you greeted the courtiers actually looked genuine."

The smile that appeared on Izumi's face next was anything but genuine. In fact, it looked more murderous than anything. "You shitty brat, you're even more loose-lipped when you're drunk. Hope you haven't said anything to ruin the king's reputation tonight."

"I could never! My king is an incomprehensible vagrant, but he is the finest warrior I have-- ah!!" He heard his name, that special name the king called him, and his head whipped around to see the small man waving at him.

"Yes, my lord!" He walked up to Leo cheerfully, his cheeks flushed, his bow a bit sloppier than usual. "To what do I owe the pleasure of being called over by his majesty?"

 

**Leo:** He could feel his heart in his chest flutter once he saw the boy cheerfully approaching him but he caught himself staring in some sort of anticipation rather fast and shook his head. What greeted Tsukasa instead was the king’s pouty expression.

“What? Have you forgotten about me and our toast because of all these beautiful ladies and food, Suo?” Leo asked with a sound complaint while Ritsu giggled and took a seat a few chairs away from them. Both ousama and the youngest knight were already drunk and the way things were escalating so far, something told him it would be wise to have at least one eye half opened in case something happened.

“Grrr, that’s not important now though, I will imagine your explanation but now! Pour a wine or honey for us, Suo!” As expected, Leo rebounded pretty fast, the tone of his voice more demanding at this moment. “This is such a saddening moment now, Suo! There is no other way to help it but drink!”

 

**Tsukasa:**   "I court the wonderful ladies of our kingdom, I do not get distracted by them," Tsukasa replied with a tone of annoyance. "And what have you been doing this time, my king, harassing the guests? Or perhaps your own knights?" 

But his mood was good, his king was beside him, and he did not stay sour for long. He lifted the nearest flask of wine and poured the king's cup before his own. "As a king's glory overflows, so must his cup..." Tsukasa hummed.

"Why is it saddening? A toast is indeed, a celebration. Today we've felt another victory for your glorious kingdom. A befitting result for his grace's name day." He raised his cup, staring into Leo's eyes. "For our victory... and our prosperity."

 

**Leo:** He wanted to comment on the ‘harassing his knights’ claim, but the wine was already in his cup and Tsukasa was more talkative than usual. An idle smile appeared on his face when he was listening to the toasts with the cup in his hand.

“For kingdom’s prosperity,” he hummed in a half tone but sighed deeply in an answer to his question. “Ruka-tan! Have you ever seen my dearest little sister, my sweet sunbeam, Suo~?” Leo lamented. “This is a real tragedy, to not be able to see her on my name’s day!” the king sunk in his chair, staring at the wine before taking a sip of it. “You did such good work at the tournament though… I’m as proud as if you were my own son haha~! Please, keep surprising me, Suo~!”

 

**Tsukasa:**   “While I am honored by your words, my king, I am not your son, I am your knight…!” Tsukasa replied almost indignantly, a crease forming in his brow. “Your proud knight who has represented you today on the battlefield.” 

Leo’s look of immense pride during the tournament floated back into Tsukasa’s mind. A rush of energy and giddiness passed through his body. Never had he felt more like he belonged with them than with that passing look of acknowledgement, like he’d finally done something worthy of his position. He raised his cup to his lips once again, only to notice a smile had formed on his face.

“But, I was not aware your grace had a younger sister. Pray tell, why has she not attended her royal brother’s name day? Is she wrapped up in other matters?” Tsukasa leaned closer to Leo with genuine interest. For someone who spoke so heavily of “family”, to rarely mention his own sister… it seemed inappropriate. “A sister of the king… surely she must be very beautiful,” he mused.

 

**Leo:** “No, no! Suo, shuuush!!” As for silencing someone down, Leo was rather loud when he leaned towards the knight with a finger on his mouth, quickly looking around if someone was paying attention to them. When he was sure no such thing happened he looked at Suou intensely.

“Forget I mentioned I have a sister,” he whispered, a bit harshly but after a second the king grabbed his arms, sighing dramatically. “I agree I’m even handsome but comparing me to an actual angel sent from highest heavens?! You can only dream to see this pure beauty one day- no, wait! I don’t want you to try stealing her from me! But... Suo…” Leo wailed, putting his head on Tsukasa’s shoulder. “I wish she could be here but it’s impossible…” If he was so emotional, certainly his state was beyond tipsy already but the thought of Ruka all alone was stronger than awareness of this fact as he put his hands around his knight’s back.

“Suo, you need to stay by my side, at least…”

 

**Tsukasa:**   “I… I...” Tsukasa’s apology caught in his throat. He tried, he tried with his alcohol-addled brain to focus on the actually very intriguing topic of a possible hidden sister somewhere in the kingdom. But it felt like Leo’s embrace was sucking him in, locking him in place so he could do nothing but notice the warm, earthy scent of the orangey hair near his face. He couldn’t even recall the last time he’d been so… close to someone else.

Tentatively, or maybe boldly, for a respectable knight in service like him, he raised a hand to Leo’s head, and before he was even aware of it himself, he had his king cradled in his arms like a child. I would never leave your side, my king, he thought to himself. Or wait, had he said it out loud? He wasn’t sure anymore. “If your grace is lonely… It would be a sorry replacement for this goddess you speak of… but I still find myself with the desire to chase such sorrow away.”

 

**Leo:** “Suo…” The king froze in his place as his knight’s big, warm arms locked him in a hug, the hand petting his head softly and the same excitement washed over him. He closed his eyes and let out a slow sigh, sinking into Tsukasa’s hold, curling a bit. For once, he found himself lost in words, as if this moment of their closeness shouldn’t be disturbed with anything else. Have wine had such an effect on the boy? He didn’t quite mind it, at the moment…

“It’s impossible to be lonely with you serving me, my knight.” Leo admitted in a gentle voice, rubbing his cheek on the boy’s shirt. “Did I worry you? I always get like this for a while on my name’s day. I miss her quite a bit.” His voice and chuckle was still slightly subdued as the king slowly left Tsukasa’s arms, smiling. 

“You truly are my sworn knight, aren’t you?” he asked, not holding back on a sudden urge to reach Suo’s burgundy locks, brushing them away from his forehead. For a moment, he forgot there is a huge, royal banquet around them.

 

**Tsukasa:**   He could blame it on the heat, on the excitement of the whole day, but his cheeks flushed red, his heartbeat pulsing down to his fingertips. Such a gentle voice, such a soft touch, nothing he’d ever experienced before, not even when they’d embraced after the tournament ended. How many more emotions would his king put him through?

He didn’t think, didn’t pause as he leaned his head into the touch. It only felt right. “If… If that is the case, then, your grace honors me. Please forgive me for being forward, assuming such loneliness was plaguing my king.” He covered Leo’s hand with his own. “It is a terribly sad thing to be apart from one’s family. I do not presume it matches the grief my king feels, but I do ache to see my mother and father at times. I hope they are doing well back home.”

“But…” He swallowed, not sure where he was going with this. It wasn’t Leo’s arms, but his eyes holding Tsukasa in place now. “It still stands that I… if I could do anything more to comfort your grace, I would offer up--”

The last bit of his statement was washed away in a sudden ruckus that arose a bit away from them. Snapping out of the moment like the flip of a switch, he looked over at a bizarre scene of one of his trusted seniors surrounded by a rather rough-looking crowd.

“Please, it’s a one-time only trick. It’s such a brutish thing to do, you couldn’t ask a lady to get more inebriated than this!”

Empty flask in hand, Arashi waved a graceful goodbye as he pushed his way through the crowd. The courtiers chattered and glanced at him, to which he only responded with a mysterious smile before catching Tsukasa’s curious gaze.

“N-Narukami-senpai… what was that? Did you just drink that entire flask?”

“Ufufu, oh my, Tsukasa-chan, I’m so sorry you had to see that. How embarrassing!” Arashi put a shy hand to his face. “Really, I had to do it to shut them up! You know how courtiers are… they hear one thing about someone’s family and expect the same simple nonsense from every single child. But oh dear, Tsukasa-chan, you look so red. Maybe you should retire for the night…? Or perhaps… I’m interrupting something?”

Arashi gave the both of them a knowing smile. Tsukasa, however, returned it with a look of confusion. He momentarily glanced at Leo, wondering if he should mention the royal little sister or not.

 

**Leo:** Listening to Suo’s gentle voice filled with concern was somewhat enchanting. His hand was covered by his which already was a huge violation of regular knight-king courtesy but has Leo dared to say he minded it? Instead he locked his eyes on Tsukasa’s only now starting to wonder where this all was going. This sort of closeness happened for the first time between them and for the king it was a foreign yet familiar feeling as subconsciously he was leaning towards the young knight. He’s been longing for some sort of closeness, especially on moments when he missed his precious sister but he’s been avoiding burdening his guards with it. He had no right to make them attached to him in this sort of way.

Yet, as the word “offer” came up and this moment was interrupted, Leo found himself frozen mere inches from Tsukasa’s face so he snapped back and his confused gaze fell on Arashi, who was heading towards them.

“Mmm Nacchan you actually did interrupt something.” To make him even more lost it wasn’t him or Tsukasa to answer Narukami’s question but Rittsu, whose presence he’s completely forgotten and once more Leo realized how close to the youngest knight he’s sitting, so he leaned further back. But gods, if Naru hadn’t saved them from some sort of disaster… He realized, feeling his cheeks are also becoming red.

“I’ve been… mourning! And I ended up worrying our brave, young knight! He hasn't seen me in this state yet... But more importantly now, Naru! Are you going to be fine?” From a chaotic, a bit rushed explanation, Leo’s voice became serious almost right away as he looked at the blonde knight with concern. “Getting sick is a no, I will miss you tomorrow… Actually! I might stay in bed, tucked in despair myself! Wahaha!”

His gaze escaped to Tsukasa. He could imagine not only him and Arashi might have a hangover tomorrow…

“You, Suo should get rest soon, too!”

 

**Tsukasa:**   “Oh please, Ousama, I’ve taken on much more than this! If anything, I should be the one taking care of you if you’ve decided to remain on your royal sickbed tomorrow.” Tsukasa watched as Arashi scoffed playfully, though the older knight’s face did look a little pallid.

“If you don’t end up passed out in a courtier’s bedchamber before then…”

“Ritsu-chan! That’s completely inappropriate! I’ll have you know I always pass out  _ after _ leaving the bedchambers!”

“Narukami-senpai, what sort of behavior to you engage in? Surely it doesn’t involve--” The rest of what Tsukasa was about to say was muffled by a quick hand over his mouth.

“Now now, you mustn’t say dirty things, or your soul will be dirtied too. Or so they say… Goodness, Izumi-chan wasn’t kidding when he said you are loose-lipped when you’ve been drinking. You haven’t said anything rude, have you?”

“I would not think to say anything rude at an event like this…” He protested, wriggling out of Arashi’s grip.

“Good boy! You are really a little charmer, aren’t you?”

Arashi proceeded to roughly muss up his hair, to which he grumbled in discomfort. The excitement of the party was starting to wear off, though there was a raw, tender feeling remaining inside him. A feeling that drew his eyes back to his king, who seemed to have already returned to his usual self. They locked gazes for a moment, and Tsukasa felt another curious burning sensation in his chest.

“Rest… I do suppose it has been… quite a long day.” The very mention of rest seemed to tug at his consciousness, tiredness creeping up into his face. “Perhaps it is time to retire soon… Will your grace be awake much longer?”

 

**Leo:** “I’m sure if I didn’t keep Suo occupied with me and our wine, not only one courtier would be at his knees by now! Wahaha~!” Leo added to the conversation which caused the dark haired knight to chuckle.

“Suuchan indeed was especially occupied with you, Your Grace.” he noted and the king felt the same rush of odd excitement once more. Ah, he still felt the warmth of this hug after all…

“Y-Yes… He took care of his lamenting king so well,” he said slowly, his gaze escaping to Tsukasa once more. He couldn’t help but be curious, what on Earth this boy still wanted to offer him, after comforting him and swearing to serve him. What else was there to give him and why would he deserve so much from such a young and pure boy?

“No… I think everyone is drunk enough to not care whether the king is still present or not…” Leo answered Tsukasa’s question, looking slowly around the hall, smiling at the sight of merry lords and ladies of his kingdom. “Peace is such a nice thing to look at, isn’t it?” he said more to himself than to anyone in particular and stood up slowly. 

“Rittsu, make sure with Sena that everyone reaches their chambers at some point. Naru is dismissed, please drink a lot of water and Suo~... Suo will escort me to my bedchambers and after that you’re free as well.” He was a curious man and could only hope neither he or Tsukasa would regret getting too close to each other as the king and his knight.

 

**Tsukasa:**   “M-me?” Tsukasa risked sounding completely foolish in his moment of surprise. It was an odd request, and he wondered what he’d done to receive such special treatment. Regardless, it wasn’t his place to refuse and, for some reason, he found himself with very little desire to even be modest about it. “Of course, my lord. A proper rest is the finest touch to such a splendid day for the kingdom.”

“Oh my, seems I’ve been ordered to sleep as well. Make sure you rest yourself too, Tsukasa-chan,” Arashi cut in. “You don’t want to get too caught up in our king’s rather reckless pace. He sure can be a handful sometimes.” He chuckled mysteriously, clunking his empty flask on the table. “And your grace, I wish you a good night.” Waving a hand, he left, remarkably gracefully for someone who’d probably had enough wine to put Tsukasa out for a while.

Ritsu followed not long after. “I guess that’s my cue. Leave it to me, I’ll probably be awake long past everyone else anyway. I’ll make sure Secchan gets his beauty sleep too,” he said with a small smile.

And then, they were alone. As Tsukasa turned and left the feast, he felt a tiny bit of nervousness creep up in him at the thought of being alone with the king in the dark hallways. Rather than being frightened, it was rather like Leo’s presence was… large. Like a burning flame, something that drew his eyes right out of the darkness.

“My king… it is rare that you request my escort…” he began quietly, conscious of his voice echoing in the hall. “Perhaps it is presumptuous of me, but is your grace still feeling lonely?”

 

**Leo:** Even though it was his scheme to bring Tsukasa with him and talk on the way to his bedchambers, Leo found himself unsure what to say so boy’s question helped him to catch his focus again. What was Naru saying about him being a handful..?

“Lonely…” Leo said quietly, without his regular energy. Perhaps he was just sleepy and drunk but the answer didn't come to him immediately. Once again his thoughts escaped to the embrace from a while ago and the warmth washed over him again. Defeated, the king sighed deeply.

“Yes… I might feel a bit lonely in some sense.” he admitted staring at the walls of the hallway they passed through. “But this isn't something that is your duty as a kingsguard, to keep me company. You're already willing to offer me so much, Suo.” Leo added quickly, a bit nervously. The Suou heir’s devotion was catching him off guard way too often and he couldn't defend himself before his passionate words just yet. He had to make sure he won't repeat the same mistake he did with Arashi but with knights so amazing, the king couldn't quite help truly loving them and getting lost in this mess his own feelings were.

“You heard Naru, I can be a handful and I might be hard to catch at times.” The smile was wide but it hadn't taken over his eyes.  “I just felt like talking with you for a while more.” Finally he answered Tsukasa’s other question. After all the purpose of this short walk was only his curiosity. 

 

**Tsukasa:**   He tilted his head, looking unabashedly at his king as they walked. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen Leo being contemplative, but… there was a certain softness, a vulnerability in their inebriated amble together.

“My king is certainly difficult to catch, it causes trouble for me and my seniors much too often. How often have I had to search for my own trainer during our sparring sessions…?” He shook his head. “But that aside… it honors me that your grace wishes to speak more. It is a rare occasion. Dare I say, I’ve looked forward to it.”

He barely noticed the faint smile on his face. Strange, how it had simply appeared on its own, when Tsukasa so often had it ready and practiced for his guests.

“I suppose that makes your grace difficult to catch in another sense. I often feel as if my king is distant, a small mystery… while confusing me to no end, it inspires my curiosity.” He turned toward Leo with an exaggerated gesture. “But I have digressed, spoken too much of myself. Even for such moments as loneliness, I believe it is my duty to entertain my king. For who is a ruler without those to serve underneath him…? ...Or so I have read in tales.”

 

**Leo:**   For some reason being called a “small mystery” by the knight made him feel slightly embarrassed. Dear gods, how was he supposed to handle this, to think only few months ago he would beat the hell out of the boy for being called small. 

“I understand your concern, Suo, but you are my knight… it might be demanding and I expect your complete loyalty but it is still work… rather than invest your whole time into serving me, shouldn't you look for a lady you’d wish to marry and extend Suou’s great bloodline… It would made me overjoyed for one of my dear friends to finally fill the castle with little kids… for some reason your seniors devoted themselves to serving the realm, too.” What was he saying to begin with… Naru was, well, Naru, and Sena wasn't someone that would have this sort of a family either… And Rittsu was an eternal being. Maybe that was why he didn't want Suo to get too close to him. For some reason, people around him were extremely individualistic. And alone, unfortunately. 

“Ahh! But I’m sure your father is nagging you like this on every occasion he gets, wahaha… Not to mention! Suo!” The king slowed down a bit and poked the boy’s armored chest. “I’m the king, you should be honored to have me as your sparring partner. I could just go to sleep after dealing with all my royal matters after all~ Wahaha~” This time Leo’s smile was more honest. It was an obvious lie after saying he feels lonely at times. He would never resign from regular trainings with his knights and these sparrings were one of his favorite routines for some reason. 

 

**Tsukasa:**   “I would appreciate it if your grace did continue to spar with me instead of sleeping through suppertime,” Tsukasa replied. Despite the tone of annoyance in his voice, his expression was soft. 

“Forgive me, but it seems rather odd that your grace suggest I start looking for a marriage partner… Certainly, as the Suou household’s sole heir it is my duty to continue our noble heritage, as my father has told me many times, yes… Though he has given me a free choice for the time being, I must say I have not come across someone I feel is suitable. I feel I must simply wait for destiny to tug at my sleeve…” He furrowed his brow.

“But in my humble curiosity, I wonder if there is no need to extend the royal bloodline as well? Surely my king, once taking the kingdom in his hands, would want his descendants to share in its glory?”

He stared at Leo, half in curiosity, half in scrutiny. The thought of Leo with children had never crossed his mind before. It seemed ridiculous to him, but he’d always had the sense that the kingsguard were more like the king’s children… but a kingdom without a long-lasting bloodline was unthinkable to him.

 

**Leo:** Hearing this question, Leo stopped looking at the boy with a little smile. It wasn’t the first time he heard it tonight. He was growing older after all, times were peaceful and for many it was unthinkable that the king was yet to marry, not to even mention the lack of suitable heir that would continue on what he had started a few years ago.

“Come, I’ll show you something, Suo.” He said finally, after a long silence and took Tsukasa’s hand in his, leading him in a slightly faster pace towards the spiral stairs at the end of the hallway. “Tell me if you started feeling sick from the wine,” Leo suddenly said, when they were almost at the top of one of castle’s towers. Though fresh air would do him good, right?

Finally, they were there, on the very top of his castle, in the middle of a chilly, spring night and Leo approached the railing, his gaze directed at the lights coming from the city. Leaning on it, he smiled at Tsukasa.

“See? As far as my sight can reach, I’m responsible for every, single person in this kingdom. They are all my children! My possible heirs! Imagine if my son was dumb, I wouldn’t want it to be ruled by a dumb king, wahaha!” The king laughed, throwing his arms towards the night with his eyes sparkling. “I’m giving my whole life to this kingdom, Suo. I don’t have time to raise a suitable heir, too.”

 

**Tsukasa:**   In truth, Tsukasa did feel dizzy being dragged up the tower stairs in his state. He wasn’t even quite sure how long it took to get up there, only the warmth of the king’s strong grip on his hand leaving an impression in his foggy consciousness. But the murkiness soon washed away, replaced with the cool, refreshing feeling of the spring breeze against his cheek.

What he saw in front of him was something that would surprise even a boy of his upbringing. From the height of a tower standing high above the city, he saw the expanse of the area, alit with lanterns and torches here and there, like spirits in the darkness. 

Leo walked to the railing, throwing his arms out as if he could take flight any moment. Tsukasa almost stopped him, but he found himself entranced. Was it the mood, the sights, the wine? He didn’t know, just that his hands found the railing too, taking a place next to his king.

“My king claims any of these people could be his heir… It is a reckless, even possibly foolhardy, idea, as if inviting revolution to one’s doorstep. With this, even I would find myself drawn like a moth to the flame of the throne.” He paused, turning his eyes back to Leo. Honesty, rather than formality, began to take hold of his words. “But I suppose that is a claim befitting of your grace. I could not even begin to understand it… though I am finding that, day by day, I have come to respect it.” 

Without choosing such difficult paths, without overcoming the risk, could anything be achieved? It was something he’d learned during his short servitude, something he felt drawn to. He placed a hand on his own chest, which was somehow warm, and lowered his head slightly to the king. “I have found it a great honor… no, a great joy to serve the throne. I am aware of your grace’s concern for my future, but please, if your grace will devote his whole life to the kingdom, then allow me to offer what time we have together to devote myself wholeheartedly to my king.”

 

**Leo:** “I’m yet to decide how my successor would be chosen...” The king started with the same passionate tone but as Tsukasa spoke he stopped, staring wide-eyed at his knight. Hearing him offering himself wholeheartedly to him caused the heart in his chest to flutter strongly, this reaction only making him feel even more shocked and confused.

It wasn’t the first time he heard someone saying something like this but when it came to Tsukasa, never before he seemed to be so honest as in this moment. It wasn’t the vow prepared beforehand and the situation was far from being official. Leo was ready to suspect that it’s the wine that caused it all but still, Suo’s words sounded too straightforward and deliberate to accept it as drunk speaking.

His heart was still beating fast when the king turned in Tsukasa’s direction, staring straight at him.

“Why would you… devote yourself to me like this, Suo?” he asked slowly. It was a weird thought that occured him, but was it really only loyalty and respect speaking through the boy’s mouth or was there something more to it..? “I might be a king that brought a new era to this kingdom but I’m still just a man, Suo. I can die at any given moment, I still have many enemies” He added fast, maybe Suo was getting some wrong idea because of his position. He just couldn’t comprehend why would this boy give up his whole future for him.

 

**Tsukasa:**   "Why..." He echoed, somewhat taken aback by the question. Why indeed? He hadn't given it much thought... or rather, he hadn't given anything much thought tonight. It simply felt appropriate, and that was the only answer he accepted of himself.

"I do not think of you as immortal, my king. Regardless, I would do everything in my power to protect your grace from such enemies. I... do not know why, myself. I used to think my king was unbelievably capricious, unpredictable, incomprehensible... so I, too, find it curious."

He couldn't put his finger on the rising feeling in his chest, but it propelled the words that flowed from his throat. He looked out at the expanse of the city once more; the flickering of the firelight seemed so beautiful at this moment, the low murmur of night life comforting.

"Perhaps it is just that... perhaps I am curious. Perhaps I want to know more about this world of which my king's presence seems to reach all corners. I feel I could spend a lifetime searching."

 

**Leo:** He’s curious, Tsukasa said and the king felt he’s finally understanding what the knight was yet to find out about himself. And that he’ll need to be the one to protect his knight from himself and from the king as well, since he knew he wouldn’t want Suo to get hurt from these strong feelings the young knight seems to be developing towards him.

“I believe someone once said that you might get burned if you get too close to me, Suo,” he said, smiling softly. His voice was quiet and calm as he reached to Tsukasa’s head, to run fingers through his hair. “To some extent, I think they were right, but if your wish is to give your life to me, then my duty is to make sure it won’t happen to you, Suou Tsukasa.” His youngest knight was so pure and cute, Leo noticed not for a first time. It was so contrary to himself, too careful and experienced by life to carelessly risk feeling something so intense for anyone again. Not to mention this was a knight he still didn’t know everything about.

“I suppose it means my life is in your hands and yours is in mine,” Leo tried to say it in a more joyful tone but little blush still formed on his cheeks. Honestly… This boy will be the death of him.

 

**Tsukasa:**    He felt his heart flutter at Leo’s touch. It was gentle, protective, one of his king’s many gestures of closeness, and yet the look in his eyes was quite distant. Tsukasa did indeed feel himself burning, as his king had said, though perhaps in a different sense… and there was another feeling, something foreign, quickly growing inside of him. Something he’d only describe as “desire”. Devotion, perhaps.

“I… I do not know what you mean by that, my king. Forgive me for taking your words, but as you have said, you are but one man. To be such danger as to burn those who surround him… it is difficult to imagine.”

There was a touch of distance, a touch of the loneliness from earlier, emotions begging to be released from him, but refusing to be spun into words. The new, nagging feeling inside him only seemed to grow stronger.

“As long as you allow it, I will be your knight,” he finally said, voice low and quiet, as if swearing an oath. “I entrust myself to you, as you have entrusted yourself to me.”

 

**Leo:** There weren’t many moments like this in his life when the king had a hard time believing in something. His mind was open for all wonders of this world where magic was colliding with daily, grey life yet Tsukasa Suou’s innocence and pure, strong feelings managed to make words get stuck in his throat and his eyes open wide. It took him a while before he decided to repeat the knight’s gesture and with a hand folded on his chest he lowered his head, as if Tsukasa was someone of his position but truly, he could only dream of times when he himself was so genuine.

“I’m sure you’re ought to find out soon what I meant, Suo.” Leo found himself almost whispering before he gathered himself to look at the knight. It sure was an evening he’s going to remember for a long time. And his heart surely wasn’t able to handle any more of these passionate oaths. 

“Allow me to change slightly our already extended escort routine then. It was a long night and I had you drink a lot so I will be much more calm if I see you reaching your bedchambers, Suo.” Even if the cold spring breeze returned a bit of color to Tsukasa’s face Leo still wasn’t sure if he’s able to walk through the castle’s length on his own. 

“And thank you for tonight, it was a really pleasant evening thanks to you, my knight.”

 

**Tsukasa:**   “Ah, ah yes… I apologize for the long distraction. I also find myself feeling surprisingly merry tonight. Allow us to continue this conversation another time.” But despite the apology, Tsukasa didn’t feel the least bit sorry, for the king returning his gesture and showing respect filled him with an unfound giddiness. Perhaps it was his normal sense of greediness, but he felt an urge to indulge himself more in this connection they’d built up so quickly. But not now, perhaps, when the mood was so nice, and everything seemed to flow naturally. “I feel ashamed at becoming the one receiving escort instead, but if your grace insists, I would gladly enjoy the company.”

With a nod, he stepped away and began to head down the staircase, only to recall he almost stepped in front of the king. Sweeping his hand in an exaggerated gesture, and with a gentle, rosy smile on his face, he motioned for Leo to go first.

 

**Leo:** Despite drinking a lot tonight, Leo by now was far from feeling merry. The mood was indeed nice and the unexpected escort turned into way more than he expected so the king found his head filled with thoughts that won't let him rest for a while. Though, while his first escort routine in years lasted, Leo had to focus on leading Tsukasa safely to his bedchambers. It was bringing back memories. Few and nice ones from before the time of his revolution. 

“Pathetic guardian I am however, escorting a drunk lord while being completely unarmed,” he noticed out loud. He laughed in his unusual, more genuine manner while turning to his knight. “May the danger appear, even on these calm hallways, allow me to borrow your sword,” he said with a little bow this time, offering Tsukasa to grab his hand. Not to drag him downstairs but make sure he keeps an eye on the boy. 

While slowly going down he kept silent, his gaze watchful but the moment they reached the hallway he smiled joyfully. 

“Do you realize that as a kingsguard I'm your oldest senior?” Sharing bits about himself was rare but he felt after tonight he owes the boy at least that. Though he didn't seem like he’d remember much from this evening at this point. 

 

**Tsukasa:**   “As usual, my sword is yours, my king,” he chuckled at his own wit, taking Leo’s hand without thinking. On any other day, he probably would’ve been counting how much physical contact he’d dared try with the king, but his cares were far beyond him. Their tower descent was quiet, but he’s started to feel like some important lady being led down the stairs by the king’s own hand, a thought so hysterical he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing to himself. Goodness, he was feeling so foolish tonight.

As they walked together down the hallway, Tsukasa noticed every little flame, every little clack of the steps they took. His head was swimming with magic, his steps unsteady.

“Ah… my king, you are my oldest senior as a kingsguard? Heavens, I’d heard tales of your valor through the word of my father and confidantes, but to once again think you served the dreaded Demon King before even Sena-senpai and Ritsu-senpai… My king must be from an esteemed family.” He racked his brains for any mention of “Tsukinaga” in his noble training, though none was coming to mind. Perhaps his mind was too addled to remember at the moment?

 

**Leo:** “Quite the contrary.” The king said softly and instead of letting go of Tsukasa’s hand he took the boy’s arm by his side, making sure his steps are a bit steadier. Though he was definitely smaller than him, so it wasn’t the easiest task when the knight was leaning towards him.

“Tsukinaga is a small family living at the current border of the kingdom with Tenshouin’s empire. The previous king simply noticed my genius as a warrior when I was still a brat.” Leo laughed but his expression darkened. He was still so naive, so idealistic back then… well, not much really changed here actually. 

“I think Rittsu was actually already there… Heavens, I believe I was younger than you.” Leo realized suddenly with disbelief. He looked up at Tsukasa, at his face showing all possible signs of how drunk he was, coming to conclusion he probably was in this state way before him, too. It felt like everything happened centuries ago.

Finally they arrived at the doors of Tsukasa’s bedchambers and the king could leave the boy at this moment but seeing his state, without asking for his opinion he decided to help him take his armor off. His night was getting longer and longer…

 

**Tsukasa:**   “You were… discovered by the former king?” Tsukasa asked, his eyes sparkling in undue excitement. “It is little wonder why I have never heard of such a house during my studies… neither do I know of your family crest or status. But to be accepted at such a young age through pure ability, my king is truly incredible. I am blessed to have been born into the same age!” He laughed to himself, swaying a bit, pressing some of his weight unintentionally on his king.

When they did arrive at his bedchambers, Tsukasa almost subconsciously began undoing his armor. He was sleepy beyond belief and happy all at once, and his hands simply moved on their own through his pre-bedtime routine. “Ah… for heaven’s sake,” he muttered, his fingers fumbling on the buckles. It caused him some frustration until they seemed to magically undo themselves, and that was when he finally noticed the king had started to help him. With a bit of a struggle he worked off the rest of the armor and left it on the floor. 

“Mmm…” He yawned a little, his body already feeling more relaxed with the heavy armor removed. “I thank you for your assistance…” he mumbled, wandering off to his bed on his own. “It’s been a wonderful night, my king.”

 

**Leo:** A lenient smile was on the king’s face when Tsukasa left his beautiful, shining armor on a floor and with his tottering steps reached his own bed. He looked around the neatly decorated and sterile room, looking for a space to put it back, but as it wasn’t on obvious display, Leo gave up on his plan to hide it, gathering only all pieces next to the wall so the boy wouldn’t stumble on them when waking up. After this he finally approached the bed himself, glancing at the knight that basically fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

“I had fun too, Suo,” the king whispered, running fingers through these soft, red locks again. Every word the boy said tonight ran through his tired mind and he could feel something tightening in his chest, a smile forming itself on his lips.

“Ahh… You’re too much of a brat, Suo… I wouldn’t be able to make you happy,” the king sighed quietly, as if trying to convince himself more than the sleeping man in front of him. He turned back, deciding to check if perhaps the boy had some sort of a bowl in his restroom. and after placing it next to the bed, Leo glanced at Tsukasa one last time before leaving the chamber quietly.   
“Sweet dreams, Suo.” 

Finally, this long day has come to an end.


	5. Chapter 5

 

**Tsukasa:** Thump, the bird fell with a satisfying thud, an arrow lodged deep in its heart. There was the sound of many fluttering wings, as its brethren quickly escaped before they met the same fate. No matter, Tsukasa mused to himself as he jumped off his horse and pulled the arrow out of his target. Just this one will do.

The sun rose low in the east, casting spotted shadows through the treetops over the unfortunate bird. Tsukasa had gone for an easy one first, a rather plump looking specimen sitting unaware on a branch some distance away. He didn’t quite have the confidence to shoot moving targets today after so much rest, but he’d been aching to get outside and refine his skills again, so much so that he’d gotten up at the crack of dawn with his own bow and arrow, snuck into the the stables for his favorite royal steed, and rode out in seek of something, anything to practice on.

Really, he couldn’t stand himself when he didn’t act. He could barely believe himself not too long ago, when he’d woken up with his right arm so ungracefully hanging off the side of his bed, headache like the wrath of the gods upon him, a sour stench filling his nostrils. He lay there for a moment, wondering what terrible fate had befallen him. He barely had any recollection of the night before, only hazy memories of a tournament victory, and a feast. He only stirred when he heard a soft knock at the door, and the face of none other than Ritsu peeking in. “I’ve come to check on the lightweight Suu-chan before I sleep,” Ritsu had said, and Tsukasa briefly doubted that it was morning until he remembered Ritsu’s usual sleeping time.

After that, it was only a matter of ignoring exactly how much he’d vomited throughout the night as it was cleaned up for him, and finding his armor apart from its usual place. He’d attempted to put it on again, but with some persuasion (and a bit of teasing from Ritsu), he was put back to bed for the day.

But truly, he thought with some frustration as he arrived back at the stables and led the pretty chestnut horse back to its stall. How shameful to let himself become like this. He was itching once again to hone his skills, to prove them.

Lost in thought, he turned toward the kitchens. Perhaps this bird would be of some use to the cooks. It was about time for breakfast, anyway, and he shouldn’t be late in joining the others.

 

**Leo:** Usually the days following banquets in the castle were way too slow for his liking. Lethargy was the enemy of any productivity and creativity, and the king could barely stand it. But for once, he couldn’t say he minded his attention being unable to focus on anything more than usual. Sena already pointed that out but Leo’s only response was shrugging his arms, his gaze looking for the youngest of the knight as he recalled the happenings on his name’s day.

There was some teasing from Naru and giggles from Rittsu as he was passing by them and Sena seemed to be giving him somewhat warmer stares. But it was only fueling the king’s frustration, because of all people, only Suo didn’t have any recollections of that night… Which was also a bit soothing, allowing the man to calm himself down before the boy decides to throw him off balance once more. Indeed, he was just a man and even the kingdom should ignore his short moments of indisposition.

“Ousama, if I didn’t know you long enough I’d think it’s not only Suu-chan that lost his head for someone…” Ritsu laughed sleepily, curling up on his chair instead of eating. It was soon his rest time anyway so he was rarely seen eating something in the morning and rather kept the other knights company if he was awake enough.

“The king that loses his head? Wahaha! It’s way too early for me to have such and ending, Rittsu. And besides, I won’t be taken alive! Wahaha-ow!” With a loud laugh, Leo attempted to change the topic, ending up being smacked at the back of his head by Izumi while Ritsu whined he’s noisy like always in the morning. He was lucky none of them knew what happened between them a few days ago, truly...

“It’s Kasa-kun’s responsibility to not let that happen as well, so take care of it fast, Ousama.”

“I know, I knooow…But you’re the mom in this family, Sena~” the king smiled wide to his friend. “It’s mom’s-”

“That’s not my business, moron.” Izumi cut to the chase, returning to eating at his seat. “Besides, this brat should be here already.” He barely finished this sentence when Suou’s heir stepped into the dining hall. “Great, soon you’ll be coming to eat later than Naru-kun.”

“Ahh!! The important thing is that Suo is finally here and the family is almost united in breakfast~” Leo exclaimed enthusiastically, waving with the knife in his hand. “At least Suo had lots of beauty sleep, didn’t he~?”

 

**Tsukasa:**   Tsukasa could feel all eyes on him as he walked in. Usually the second arrival to the table (after the strictly prompt Izumi), he felt a bit ashamed, catching the gazes of his fellow knights for a moment before quickly averting his eyes and taking a seat at the end near Arashi. 

“Forgive me for my late arrival, my lord, but I was far from getting rest of any such sort. I have been awake since dawn.”

“Ufufu, it’s alright, Tsukasa-chan. There’s no rush to arrive early to breakfast. What matters is you eat it!” Arashi smiled from beside him and daintily put a piece of meat in his mouth.

“I do not require as much time in the morning as you do, Narukami-senpai. What you even do in that time, I could not guess.”

“Mm… Let’s just consider it a lady’s secret!”

“But you are not--”

“Just eat before it gets cold,” Izumi interjected, to which Arashi replied with a lighthearted chuckle.

From the exercise in the morning, Tsukasa was already feeling quite famished. He ate more quickly than usual, indulging all too much the warmth of the food and the indoors.

“And, what exactly were you doing up at dawn, Kasa-kun?”

Izumi looked over at him with a sharp gaze. 

“Ah… Forgive me for my action without permission, but I went out to practice hunting,” His voice was a bit muffled with his mouth full of food. “I simply could not sit still after so many days in lethargy. I was not aware alcohol could have such a drastic effect on a person… I must be more vigilant. Do you not feel frustrated as well, my seniors?”

 

**Leo:** There was a moment of silence before the youngest knight’s question followed with three smirks and Arashi's chuckle. 

“Ah… Kasa-kun thinks his seniors would allow themselves to get in such a state.”

“Izumi-chan, the last time you got to drink with ousama you couldn’t even find your way to the bedchambers.” 

“Be quiet, Naru-kun! Drinking is the only thing ousama does reasonably and my head isn't like you two with your monster-like strength and-”

“So you're admitting you're weak, Secchan~” Ritsu interrupted seeing Arashi’s face was becoming pouty. Leo sighed and leaned on his chair, his breakfast almost finished as he stared at Tsukasa. Do you not feel frustrated, he asked, and it was Leo’s primary feeling since the party after all. Their newbie didn't remember anything and he was yet to realize how dangerous his burning loyalty is… and the king was yet to find out how to protect the young knight. 

“I do feel frustrated.” He broke the cheerful chattering with sudden seriousness before the smile returned to his face, dropping the topic completely. “The days before the tournament were exceptionally busy however, we all deserved to take it easy for few days, especially my knights. But you Suo, you are already so full of energy, youth is so amazing! Wahaha! Was there anything exceptional to hunt down or were you just using the built up energy? That's sort of cute… Wahaha!” Honestly, what was he supposed to do. 

 

**Tsukasa:**   “Cute?” Tsukasa frowned at the description. “Please do not treat me like a child… I simply felt my arms going limp without my usual archery practice.”

As he continued with his breakfast, Tsukasa couldn’t help but notice how quickly the king’s pensive staring changed to laughter in an instant. Strange as always, his king was, too easy to get caught up in the pace. The other senior’s voices seemed quite far away, as he found his eyes drawn to Leo.

“Suu-chan,” a voice said near Tsukasa, and he jolted out of his reverie. He turned his head to see Ritsu, who he’d forgotten was there for a moment. “Why don’t you lend me some of that youthful vigor, hm? Just a taste?”

He leaned away, and the piece of meat on his fork fell off onto the plate. “Ritsu-senpai?! I know not what you mean.”

“You know, give me some of your bl--”

“Hey, we can’t have Kasa-kun out for another day in a row. You’ve had enough over the evening anyway.” Izumi said from his seat. Tsukasa watched them with interest.

“Fine, fine. But maybe I want some of Suu-chan’s attention too, you know?” Ritsu’s eyes opened a little, and the ruby red eyes slid straight over to meet Tsukasa’s gaze. Tsukasa gulped, and Ritsu smirked, ever so slightly. Was his senior trying to tell him something…? He thought, poking at the fallen meat again. It was an odd thought, but then again, many things for Tsukasa had been odd the past few days. For one, the holes in his memory of the tournament day.

“Anyway, Tsukasa-chan,” Arashi interjected, waving off the strange air between them. “You said you were a bit frustrated. Maybe you just need a little extra something to shake off that irritation. A nice day out in town, maybe?”

“Mm… I appreciate the offer, Narukami-senpai, but I would rather not spend time buying fineries. Perhaps I should simply increase my practice times for now…” he replied, pushing around his breakfast on his plate. He was so strangely restless this morning.

 

**Leo:** The king set aside his plate and rested his head on his hands, watching Rittsu teasing their youngest knight a little. Suddenly it made him wonder if only Tsukasa himself was oblivious to the attention he’s been giving him lately. If that was the case then no wonder he felt frustrated, with all his seniors knowing something he doesn’t.

It isn’t good though if it keeps distracting him, Leo thought, the others’ voices reaching him from a distance. He was escaping to his very own realm pretty often this morning. He hated waiting like this but the man was well aware there was nothing he could really do but wait… Although it was making him slightly restless.

“Ohh! I got an idea to spend up our newbie’s frustration all at once!” Suddenly he exclaimed, unexpected memory from after the tournament coming to his mind suddenly. “I promised I won’t forget and I didn’t! Are you up to challenge me on horseback, Suo~?”

This way, he should also be able to use up his own frustration, at least a bit.

 

**Tsukasa:**   “Ah!” Tsukasa had finished the last of his breakfast as Leo had said the word ‘horseback’, and he put his fork down gently on the table before turning in his chair to face his king. “A duel on horseback… A marvelous idea! I must admit with shame that it did not cross my mind earlier, but if my king is willing, then I, too, shall rise up to the challenge.”

“Talking about fighting at the breakfast table again? Couldn’t we eat in peace…?” Arashi sighed from next to him, but Tsukasa was already lost in thought. He stood up, a smile appearing on his face. If anything got him excited, it was a good challenge, and there was a part of him that wanted to show off in front of his king again.

“Name your terms, my king. Shall we have a bout with swords? Perhaps we should be able to choose our steeds as well…” He stared at the ground in thought. What kind of strategy would his seniors choose?

“Ah… as a friendly and sporting fight, I suggest we use lances. Perhaps not as traditional as the sword, but a sturdy, wieldy weapon suited for such combat.”

 

**Leo:** Leo briefly glared at Arashi after his remark, a sudden thought occurring to him if it wasn't better to make the young knight visit the town with Arashi instead, but he found himself getting excited as well when the boy started wondering about the duel’s details. The king laughed, standing away from the table. 

“Look at my own knight getting all excited to spill some royal blood! Wahaha!”

“It was your idea, idiot.” Sena sighed deeply.

“Anyway! I'm willing to go with lances, lances and horses look so impressive together!” Leo put a brooding look on his face, starting to walk in circles. Truth be told, he wasn't really a cavalry warrior and in battles there was always someone advising him how to use these units the most efficiently, but that maybe him even more excited - using a style he’s not used to was always fascinating. 

“I do believe you are more knowledgeable on the matter than me, Suo. I will have you and Sena discuss the details of our challenge and I will appear when called~” he said finally. “I have huge expectations for you, haha!” May they both find peace after this, he also thought wishfully. 

“Now, I should head to the audience hall. Join me and Naru when you're done, Suo. And sweet dreams, Rittsu~” Leo finally turned his attention from Tsukasa and jumped to Rittsu to pat his head, then rushed towards the door, not waiting for Arashi. He didn't particularly like being with him all alone anymore, unfortunately. Maybe one day it will change. 

 

**Tsukasa:**    “Yes, my lord,” Tsukasa replied brightly. The thought of some competition was already lifting his spirits, and he was glad to finally have something he could focus his overflowing energy on. And lances on horseback, Tsukasa’s forte.

“You seem energetic, you brat.” Izumi was smiling. Tsukasa chuckled in response, the morning exercise, the good food, and the good news all bubbling up happily inside him.

“Fufu, naturally I am looking forward to such an opportunity. Though I am slightly concerned about the outcome, as my king is a talented warrior… I shall do my best to show off.”

“Hmph, I would advise you to go right ahead with it. Just go at it with pride, Kasa-kun. This is your talent after all, you have the right to crush that ousama with all you have.”

“Hmm…” Tsukasa thought, a small smile still lingering on his lips. “Perhaps you are right, Sena-senpai. I do believe I am at an advantage. I could end up the victor in this situation.”

Izumi snorted. “Anyway, if you’re so eager to start, I suggest you set the match for the afternoon. Our king likes making things ostentatious, so you should go formally challenge him.” He gave Tsukasa a pat on the shoulder, which turned into a firm grasp as he physically turned Tsukasa around to face the door. “Now, go meet him in the audience hall. Don’t keep him waiting for too long, or he might run off somewhere.”

Tsukasa nodded. Having such a reliable senior around made him feel much more confident. Perhaps he could impress Izumi as well with his military prowess. 

Quickly, he gathered himself up, bowed to Ritsu, and strode out the door. He hadn’t noticed the small glance Izumi had given to the chair next to him, to where Arashi had been sitting and was now gone, having slipped away silently, without saying a single word.

 

**Leo:** Audiences were one of the routines he enjoyed the most. As the king, Leo was unable to jump on his horse and wander off wherever he wanted to and besides, the news brought by his peers and servants often were as valuable as what he could get himself. This morning he was especially grateful his attention was focused on something when Arashi joined his side in silence. Only recently the king agreed for him to be a part of his escort again but the air between them was yet to clear up, both of them being unusually reticent, almost as if neither wanted to disturb the other.

It was a relief when Tsukasa finally joined them, both Narukami and Tsukinaga relaxing when met with his pure excitement. Leo could even say he was almost grateful, being able to forget why things were so awkward when he was on his own with Naru. After being exposed to details of their afternoon's duel, the king could return to details of the Aoi twins’ assaults. He's been turning a blind eye to them so far, but after the rumors of them receiving help from Tenshouins reached him, Leo realized he had been tolerating chaos brought by the kids the Demon King left after his death for too long. Well, so far they weren't that much of a threat and matters close to the capital were consuming him a bit too much. 

Eventually the day came to an end, however, and the king felt his head pounding slightly from exertion. He knew he won't be the best opponent to his young knight, fueled by irritation and excitement mostly, yet he knew it's going to be beneficial for the both of them. Keeping this in mind, he let the boy off earlier so he could prepare for the fight, being all alone with Narukami once more this day.

“Sena and Rittsu are busy so… I'd be grateful to have your help in my own preparations and… maybe a warm up, too.” Leo said reluctantly to his knight after the day of audiences was finally over. “I need to take away all this politics from my head before facing Suo, wahaha!” The king laughed a bit awkwardly. 

 

**Tsukasa:**   Tsukasa had already worked up a sweat making a few rounds around the field. He still couldn’t shake the restlessness that lay deep in the pit of his stomach since the morning. It was hardly the first time he’d ever had a bout with the king, and it wasn’t a very public match, but Tsukasa couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. Still, if there was anything he’d learned from his previous matches, even that nervous energy can be transformed into a solid victory. Giving a last, definitive practice swing of the lance he’d chosen, Tsukasa dismounted to let the both of them take a rest.

The steed huffed, as if to make notice of someone approaching the fields, and from the tall, lean figure, Tsukasa could easily guess it was Arashi. Leading the horse by the reins, he walked up to meet his senior. Arashi had an uncharacteristically pensive look on his face, which jumped into a look of surprise as Tsukasa and the horse approached.

“Oh! Tsukasa-chan, you’re here already! Ah, I suppose you’d want to start warming up early. Good boy.” Arashi smiled, and while Tsukasa was glad to receive the praise, he noticed the smile didn’t quite reach his senior’s eyes.

“Narukami-senpai, is something the matter?”

“Huh?” A brief pause. “Ahaha, oh no, did I seem off to you? I’m just a bit tired, you know, what with all the celebrations. It seems like no one ever relaxes around here; one minute you’re staying up late and the next you’re… well, doing these fights.”

“A fight, or rather a royal match such as this, is a display of pride and honor, Narukami-senpai. Putting so much on the line even in the smallest of matches… perhaps it may be foolhardy, but exposing oneself so is the greatest expression of chivalry.”

Arashi’s smile fell, just a little, and Tsukasa could swear he even looked sad. “Mhmm, that’s right, Tsukasa-chan. Just make sure not to get too hurt, alright?” He gave Tsukasa a small pat on the head before heading outside the field to watch. Tsukasa watched him go for a long moment, unable to shake the feeling his senior was hiding something. There seemed to be a lot of secrets around the castle lately.

Finally, he turned to see the person he’d been hoping to see. Putting on a pleasant smile that just barely hid his excitement, he bowed low. “Welcome, my king. I have been awaiting your arrival.”

 

**Leo:** It was still very uncomfortable, the king found out with a deep sigh, his thoughts very far from the incoming sparring. He let Narukami go ahead after their practice but it was almost as if he didn’t leave him at all. It looked like his knight preferred to pretend that everything is fine, choosing to talk about Tsukasa instead, and Leo wouldn’t mind but it was all so forced, especially when silence was falling between them. 

Leading his horse to meet the youngest knight’s, the redhead was still looking at the ground, brooding. Perhaps it was simply still too early… He definitely hasn’t forgot how hurt he’s been just yet but the king has already decided that Narukami Arashi will stay in the castle, still serving as his kingsguard so he had to rebuild his trust somehow. But if Naru didn’t care about that, then not even the expectant look in Sena’s eyes would convince him to keep him so close to himself… For the past few months, a certain new, young knight was keeping him distracted but Leo was still wondering, especially in such moments if he was just used by this man, thrown away when they got too close… Or it was really true that you might be burned if you get too close to him. Unless you're Tenshouin Eichi but Leo would make sure that actually happened if he ever saw him again.

“Grrr… Maybe I just should get angry with him.“ The king sighed out loud and finally he got a hold of reality around him back. And Suou Tsukasa was standing in front of him.

“Ohh! Suo! I didn’t notice you! Were you hiding behind that beautiful stallion? Sweet heavens, you look as proud as ever, wahaha!” He had no choice but snap out of his pensive mood and show the best of him to this newbie again, didn’t he? With the corner of his eye, he noticed Arashi already outside the field and he sighed again. This whole frustration and helplessness he felt… He really wished just a duel could free him from it all. But he settled with the fact that there was no cure for his heart that was still sometimes longing for the closeness he had with his knight long ago. It was one of the reasons why he wanted to avoid Tsukasa falling for him. The king of this kingdom was too broken to love wholeheartedly again.

However, he didn’t want to worry the youngest now so he tried to smile at him, as brightly as he could. 

“I may be not a cavalry warrior but don't expect to get an easy win, Suo.” He warned, keeping the lance in front of him. 

 

**Tsukasa:**    “I was not hiding, my king, perhaps it is simply a lack of attention that caused such surprise.” He shook his head. “Inattention is the mother of error, especially at such times. ...Ah, I did not mean it in a disrespectful manner,” he added as an afterthought. It certainly was odd for the king to approach in such a… distracted manner. His seniors and his king were certainly strange today.

Swinging his lance over the horse’s back, he used it as a counterweight for mounting the saddle. It was a movement as natural as breathing for him, and his body instantly relaxed as he saw the familiar view from up above. He twirled his lance into a readied position and bowed once again to the king.

“Excuse me for mounting first. Let us fight a fair and honest fight.” Though I may have a chance to win this one, Tsukasa thought silently, a smile appearing on his face. Tugging on the reins, he directed the steed to the other side of the field, settling into stance. Despite the strange atmosphere, he was determined to prove himself and shake off this senseless energy.

 

**Leo:** “Hm… Have I just got scolded by a youngster?” Leo smiled a bit more honestly this time and mounted himself, probably not in as graceful manner as the boy did. Holding the lance under his arm in a position ready to attack, the king glanced at it, then at Tsukasa, as excited as ever. He probably thought the win is already his, even though he knew nothing about the king’s abilities. Cavalry was truly scary and deadly and Leo Tsukinaga was dangerous enough on the ground, without such obvious advantage. He gave that answer to Sena once, if he was not mistaken.

“Let’s see if you have any right to lecture me about attention and focus, Suo,” he exclaimed after the boy that was heading to take his stance. 

Finally getting in the mood for this fight, Leo prepared himself as well, serious look on his face. His eyes caught Arashi and the rest of his kingsguard again but he couldn’t be bothered with them now. It was a serious duel that could end badly if they won’t be focused enough. And it was the mood he very much needed.

After taking the proper stance he lowered his body and charged in Tsukasa’s direction. Right now, only proving himself to this cheeky knight mattered. He will worry about everything else later.

 

**Tsukasa:**   “A pleasure, my king.” Tsukasa’s expression hardened into something more serious. He played and replayed the possible moves over in his head. On top of a horse, there was a limited range of moves one could do, but the momentum and force added from the animal’s strength could be especially dangerous. Controlling the forces of his mount underneath him and the strength in his own arm were the tricks to the art of fighting on horseback. The focus was on precision and skill, both things Tsukasa prided himself in.

With steeled confidence, he charged forward first, taking a calculated swing right at the king’s shoulder. The horse’s body underneath his legs felt as fluid as running water, the lance swinging easily in his measured grip. He was sure all his seniors were watching him with interest, and he considered it truly his time to stand out and show off. 

 

**Leo:** After traveling across the whole kingdom for years, Leo felt confident with his control over the horse at least, and the lance was still just a blade, just on a longer handle. Tsukasa’s attack was calculated and precise, near perfect but exactly because of that the king had no trouble avoiding it, bending down, hearing knight’s lance above his head, suddenly realizing how deadly this duel was. The best solution was probably throwing Tsukasa off his horse before any of them gets seriously hurt.

Leo turned back, this time being the one to charge at the boy, aiming slowly before approaching Tsukasa at the side, trying to hit the horse with the duller side. From all possible scenarios, he preferred to hurt the horse instead of Suo.

 

**Tsukasa:**   The king’s approach was odd, and before Tsukasa could move completely out of the way, the end of the spear grazed against his horse, causing the animal to squeal in protest. With a quick reaction and a flick of the reins, he kept it under control, and he put some distance in between himself and his opponent. 

He had to admit that Leo’s style as a cavalry warrior was very unconventional. Most of the lords he’d fought in the past had subscribed to the rhetoric of a common fighting form, but the king’s moves seemed to come from his basic instincts, a new type of opponent that Tsukasa had to adjust himself to deal with. Thankfully, it wasn’t too difficult to guess what Leo was trying to do. 

However, it didn’t stop him from wishing for a more straightforward fight. He was aware of the dangers they were facing, but stronger still was his desire to prove himself and win in his own field of expertise. Kicking the horse into a run, he rushed once again, this time aiming a bit lower at the king’s side, to bruise but not cut.

 

**Leo:** He knew well his previous attack was too careful, perhaps he really wasn’t in the mood for it, or simply not confident enough to ensure neither of them will get seriously hurt. He didn’t have the luxury to think about it a lot however, with Tsukasa charging at him, the boy probably realizing already why his attack wasn’t upfront like always. And yet he wasn’t prepared for the knight’s less direct attack, so instead of dodging it, he had to stop his lance with his own, the handle shrieking dangerously, showing Leo how close he was to breaking it and giving Suo his victory way too soon. 

How frustrating, he should just focus on the fight. Leo cursed under his breath, pulling the reins to get back the balance and control over the slightly panicked animal. He closed his eyes, gripping the weapon tight in his hand. It was just a blade and he was superior in handling these. Besides, it seemed like Suo was itching to show what he’s capable of.

So Leo commanded his horse to run towards him, letting go of the reins to take the lance in both hands before heading towards the frontal attack, trying to aim at Tsukasa’s armored arm. 

 

**Tsukasa:** Clearly it wasn't going to be so easy to land a strike on the king, though Tsukasa still clicked his tongue in frustration when his sideways attack didn't quite work out the way he wanted. It was impatience and restlessness that made him back away quickly, ready for another charge.  
However, it seemed the king had beat him to it, and while he'd gotten in perfect stance, he wasn't quite ready for the two-handed strike coming his way. A flash of a memory of Leo's brute strength came to his mind, and in a brief moment of panic, he raised his arm to stop the strike instead.  
A sharp pain shot through the muscle. He shook off the attack and backed off again, his arm smarting, and he already knew it'd left a bruise.  
Damn it all, he cursed in his head. He needed to pay attention instead of daydreaming like this. He adjusted his weapon again, and winced at the fresh pain in his arm. It would be a liability, but not the worst thing to happen to him.   
He kicked the horse in motion and charged again, spinning the lance and switching hands, attacking from a different side.

 

**Leo:** It was an odd fight, Leo found out quick enough. It seemed to be a clash of two storms, frustration emitting from both him and his knight. No usual, electric excitement that accompanied their sparrings. They were connected in restlessness and it wasn’t something Leo particularly liked. The king’s attack reached Tsukasa’s arm and he could see panic in the boy’s eyes as he defended himself with it. It wasn’t a strike based on the horse’s speed but on his strength, yet it wasn’t making it any less dangerous.

“Suo!” Did he pierce the armor? His shout was full of concern but the knight distanced himself quickly. Perhaps it wasn’t too bad then, so Leo readied himself to get in defensive stance, turning his horse in Tsukasa’s direction again. But another attack came from a different direction, not from his dominant hand so Leo understood he needs to end it before things get worse. Or order it to just stop.

He stopped his horse, lance still in both hands, close to him to block the incoming attack. He swung as well when knight got close to him, wanting to throw him off the horse.

 

**Tsukasa:** His attack was met with a deep clunk of the lances slamming against each other, and the impact made Tsukasa's arm wobble. He winced with the pain shooting fresh through his arm.  
It was definitely worse than he had thought. He hadn't had much experience on the actual battlefield, and adjusting for more painful injuries such as this was a rather difficult task for him. Even the weight of the lance fell differently into his hands. It felt odd, and foreign.  
He grunted under the pressure and sighed in relief as their lances parted, but it was for a moment too long. Another strike was headed for him, and he couldn't raise his arm fast enough to effectively block it.  
With a force enough to leave another bruise, he was swept off from his steed, and rolled roughly into the ground. The sudden impact made tears spring into his eyes, and an all-too-familiar heaviness gripped his chest. It was shame, and embarrassment. He turned his face away from the king and his seniors, hesitant to get up.

 

**Leo:** In all honesty, Leo expected he'll lose. He had little experience on a horse, fought on his instinct solely but it's always been the experience that gave him the biggest advantage over the youngest knight. But this time… This time this fight wasn't what he sought for, and the conclusion made him all the more irritated. He stared at the boy on the ground, then at the concerned knights observing them. Naru and Sena were already heading towards them. 

Once again, his gaze fell on Tsukasa, boy trying to avoid everyone, not getting up…

“How is your arm?” his voice came out colder than he expected. In fact, he was really concerned if Tsukasa didn’t get hurt but something was stopping him. He promised on that roof he’ll protect this innocent knight from himself and yet… Was it because he was so unfocused? Or his lack of experience on a horse, it could be a normal sparring… 

In frustration, he swung his lance and threw at the ground, piercing deep into it. 

 

**Tsukasa:** The sharp thud of the king's lance in the ground briefly pulled Tsukasa out of his own mind. Leo looked just as frustrated as Tsukasa felt, and it made his chest bristle with the thought that it was his fault the fight turned out like this. He was weak and distracted and still naive, and he had embarrassed himself beyond belief. He shouldn't have brashly challenged the king like that.

His seniors' quick footsteps reached his side, and between Arashi's yelps of concern and Izumi's attempts to help him up, he grew tired of his helplessness. "I am fine, it is little more than a small injury," he replied to the king, to his seniors, to himself. 

Holding his arm close to himself, he swallowed down his shame and stood up on his own, picking up his dropped lance. With a less than graceful motion, he bowed. 

"Thank you for the informative fight. I acknowledge my defeat," he said politely, though there was no trace of sportsmanship in his voice. "If your grace will excuse me, I will tend to our horses." He reached for the reins of both steeds. He definitely intended to wash and feed them, but most of all, he wanted to be alone for a while.

 

**Leo:** A little more than a small injury… It didn’t sound half bad but Leo was unable to sigh with relief like he usually would. He’s been reminded of their last official duel and how at that time Tsukasa was putting his life on a line a few times too… He was such an idiot, why wasn’t he careful, he knew how stubborn this kid is. At this moment he wasn’t sure at who he was actually angry as he glared down at the young knight.

“Informative fight..?” he let out in disbelief and opened his mouth to start very unfair scolding, but his gaze fell on Izumi. Tsukasa’s mentor seemed to try to communicate something to him, perhaps he planned to do that himself later or maybe Leo really wouldn’t be fair.

“Grrr… Leave that to the grooms and go check on that wound right now, it’s an order.” he said something else instead, his voice still angered. 

It was unjustified, he knew that. Tsukasa didn’t remember he’s sworn to protect him, he only wanted to show off like a young knight he is. It was him that was unable to measure his strength properly this time.

“Give me that back.” He tried to sound calmer but his peremptory tone wasn’t any better than the angry one. The king sighed and took his reins from knight. He needed a while alone to calm down. Without turning back, he kicked the horse and headed towards the forest.

“That imbecile!!” Sena’s yell was the last thing he’s heard before leaving the field.

 

**Tsukasa:** He returned the king's words with an indignant look, but he felt Izumi's eyes on him, and he bit his tongue and avoided saying something that could get him in trouble. The king was obviously frustrated, and Tsukasa was angry at himself, and he could only think that meant the king's anger was directed at him, too. It was unfair. But the match was closed, his attempt at a graceful escape ruined.

"Tsukasa-chan, maybe we should go take a look at that arm," Arashi said gently, but as his senior reached out to touch his wounds, he retracted his arm. He didn't want to see anyone, or touch them.

"Leave me be," he replied shortly.

"You heard us. Shut up and get yourself some help." Izumi's voice was sharp, a mix of commanding and his own brand of concern.

After a moment of hesitation, Tsukasa finally nodded his head to both of them and headed off, arm cradled in his other hand. He was grateful they didn't follow him, but as he left, he could feel their gazes of concern boring into his back, like a heavy pall of shame over him. If there was anywhere for him to go, he wished it would be as far away from here as possible.

 

**Leo:** The king wanted to be far away as well, as he rushed through the castle’s length as if he was chased by death itself. His teeth gritted hard, Leo was remembering all the betrayals in his life. The wind in his hair had blown away the anger already, there were only old fears mixing with the new ones, but on the top of it, there was sadness. 

Tenshouin, Sena (even if for a very brief moment), Naru and now Suo… All these people, were or are trying to embrace his broken self, only leaving more damage afterwards. For the past two years he was trying to convince himself he doesn’t need this sort of affections, he’s going to be fine, focusing solely on building his kingdom, giving his knights the best of himself, even if his twistedness was not always understood, until… Until Tsukasa Suou stepped his boots into the little shelter he created for himself, and threw him completely off balance like no one else did before.

He knew exactly why. There was naivety and innocence Leo has never encountered in his life before. Tsukasa was seeing the world through values he has long forgotten about, and it wouldn’t be too much to claim that Leo has seen in that rich boy himself, fifteen years old. He wanted to protect that from the things he’s went through and yet he himself was terrified. He was terrified he’ll fail, terrified he’ll break the boy himself, terrified Tsukasa will eventually see how damaged he is and lastly, that he’ll develop his commitments too and hurt them both in the process. And Leo Tsukinaga had enough of pain and loss in his life already.

He reached the forest on the back of the castle, very likely the one Suo hunted in in the morning and while still going along the castle’s walls he reached a small shrubbery, a small part of the forest separated from the rest. The king attached the horse’s reins to a nearby tree and went inside the copse, displaying a small, well hidden monument that looked like a grave from the first glance. An old, rusty lance was lying in front of it and Leo knelt next to it, his fingers running slowly up the ragged blade.

“Mikejimama…” he whispered, sad smile forming on his lips, and if someone would ever had a chance to pass by this place while he was visiting, they’d say that the great king of many legends looked small and vulnerable. That this tired, young man wasn’t their king. But it was the place no one knew about, his shelter inside his very own home where he was running to, when even he needed to take a break.

“Mama… I want to go to the mountains, I want to see my dear Ruka-tan.” His old friend, wherever he was right now, was certainly listening to him and even if not, Leo had found a last resort comfort in talking to the old stone and lance. “I… Just want a break for a while, I can be the king later…” He shut his eyes and leaned on the stone. “I can’t respond to Suo’s feelings, he’s… I bet you’d laugh now, but he’s too pure, too bright… He even smiles like a damn sun.” He giggled a little, his mind slowly calming down. “Sometimes it feels like I’m the one that’s going to burn. Wahaha…” he sighed and fell silent. 

He sat like this for a longer while, slowly dozing off, probably making the whole castle worried sick until he’d heard the creak of leaves, someone’s light steps, and without a thought, the unarmed king grabbed the decaying spear, ready to defend himself. Damn, he’d probably kill the intruder on a spot if they didn’t speak up before appearing from between the bushes.

“Little knight.”

The lance fell from his hands as Leo sighed with relief, regretting he was found so soon.

“Rittsu… You found my secret spot.” he noted bitterly and the ancient creature chuckled.

“Or maybe it was mine before you and your friend found it.”

The mention of Madara Mikejima stung.

“Either way treat it as my private, hidden place from now on.” His voice was slightly annoyed and the man glared at him seriously.

“Ousama, take it as an advice from your friend or trusted knight, but you need to take a break.”

Was the vampire reading his mind? He knew he needed that but…

“Kings don’t have breaks.”

“Then escape and return. You always return.” There were emotions in Ritsu’s words he couldn’t quite unravel, so Leo decided to think better of it. 

“Nobody can notice though.” He pointed out the most bothersome part, but he felt the rush of excitement already. Elusive king? Wouldn’t that fit him?

“Your knights can handle that, don’t you think?”

“Rittsu, you’re a genius, I think I love you??”

He laughed loud and that seemed to ease his knight’s worries. Ah, he was only causing them trouble now, wasn’t he? The king stood up, patting the grave as if he was saying bye to his still living friend and turned away his gaze, passing by the ravenhead to reach his horse.

“Ousama... what about Suu-chan?”

The king glared at Ritsu, giving him a clear message to not touch the topic he didn’t want to take care of just yet either. He didn’t have a solution for his situation with Suo yet… But for now, it seemed like pushing him away could be the better option, maybe it’ll eventually scare this stubborn kid away... maybe.

“Has he taken care of his arm?” Leo asked once they were heading slowly towards the castle. If he didn’t… that kid was just a proud idiot and would really earn his scolding.

“Don’t know, didn’t check. Be grateful I found you before you fell asleep there, I deserve a sip of royal blood~”

“No way! It’s too valuable! Wahaha!”

Joking a little eased the weight in his heart but Leo still was escaping with his thoughts to the boy. Maybe, just today he should check on him. And after this, he will distance himself. And go to see Ruka-tan. It sounded like a real dream… He needed good, deep dreams tonight.


	6. Chapter 6

**Leo:** For a first time in few months he woke up feeling unreasonably strained. Just a thought of waking up and performing his duties like usual made him groan in frustration and king Leo rolled in his covers, hiding his head under a pillow. Maybe if he stays like this nobody will bother him for at least a day…

Unfortunately, he heard the knocking at his door just few minutes later. Like always, guards commander came personally to see if he’s woken up. Leo hadn’t moved though so soon few curses reached his ears. Only that motivated him to get up and open the lock. After that he had only few seconds to rush back to the bed but Izumi grabbed him by the back of his collar.

“Senaa!” The king of this country moaned pleadingly trying to struggle off his knight’s hold.

“You can’t skip the entire day, you idiot ousama!”

“But I will!!”

They struggled for a while in silence until Izumi gave up and let go of the king that immediately jumped back under the cover, glaring at Izumi. The man sighed deeply and sat down at the end of the bed, staring ahead instead of his grumpy friend.

“Is it one of these days?” he asked trying to sound dispassionate and Leo raised his brow, unsure what he means. “Oh, one of these when you want to be left alone and whine like a little ba-” Silverhead didn’t manage to finish because he got hit with one of heavy pillows. Cursing and sending the king murderous stare he threw it back.

“I’m not that pathetic anymore, Sena! Just move my morning duties for another day uhh...”

“...Fine. But you better find someone to come up with excuses for you.” Izumi’s voice was annoyed but he actually looked at his king with concern. Which was primarily why Leo decided to leave the room today. He was alright after all, just quite tired with his duties. Redhead sighed and lied down on his pillows. One day in a while wouldn’t really hurt, would it...

“...I will tell Kasa-kun he’s off duty today then. That’s probably for the better, since he’s injured anyway. At noon I will be presenting new schedules for knights so be there like you always are. I will check on you before lunch.”

“Alri~ght, Sena I can always count on you, hehe!” Leo sent his friend, honest, warm smile and Izumi blushed slightly in response, turning away gaze. The king laughed. Some things never changed. “Ah Sena, it’s unfair to be so cute when you’re already so beau-”

“Shut up! I’m going to strangle-”

“More importantly, Sena! On the table I left some changes to the schedule. I’m sorry, it’s so sudden.” 

“Hm?” Sena reached for the paper Leo mentioned and studied it for a while with a serious, stern face that soon got replaced with a small smirk. “You can be a real asshole sometimes, you know? I take that you’re ready for complaints.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Leo’s voice was almost cold as he rolled in his bed, ready to return to sleep. “Don’t worry, I will deal with that later.”

“You better. I’ll come to escort you in few hours, ousama.”

Leo only mumbled something in response and hid deeper under blankets. He had more reasons to save up his energy for the evening but it couldn’t be helped. Just few more days and he’ll leave the castle to see Ruka-tan anyway…

 

**Tsukasa:**   Tsukasa had no idea just how sore he would be in the morning.

He had drifted in between sleep and wakefulness, his eyes cracking open every time he rolled onto his injured arm. When the sun poured in through the slats of his shuttered window, he barely felt like he’d slept at all.

“Tsukasa-chan…” A gentle voice called to him from beyond his chamber door, along with a short knock. Tsukasa almost told his senior to leave him, but he knew better than to unnecessarily worry Arashi, of all people. Even if he tried to hide it, Arashi would know when he’s hurting.

“Come in,” he said, his voice croaking with exhaustion. He gently pushed himself up into a sitting position.

Arashi poked his head through the crack in the door. “I didn’t wake you up, did I?” Without waiting for an answer, the tall knight stepped past the threshold, closing the door behind him. Tsukasa noticed he was carrying a thin cloth and a bowl.

Arashi pulled up a stool and sat beside Tsukasa’s bed. His long fingers gingerly touched at the bandage around Tsukasa’s arm. “This looks like it should be okay in a while. Does it still hurt?”

“You…. do not have to concern yourself with my injury, Narukami-senpai. It is early, and surely you have other duties to attend to.” It wasn’t like him to feel so pathetic this early in the morning, but the throbbing pain in his arm didn’t give him an opportunity to rest.

Arashi clicked his tongue and started to remove the bloodied bandage from Tsukasa’s arm. “Tsukasa-chan, no need to be like that. You’re injured, of course I’d be concerned about you. Izumi-chan and Ritsu-chan have been wondering about you too, you know.” The bandage was finally off. The cool air soothed the open wound somewhat. “Well, I’ve seen worse, but I imagine it’s still painful. Let’s give it a wash and put some fresh cloth on it.” 

Arashi hummed and dipped another cloth into the bowl on his lap, which was full of clear water. “Did you sleep well?” his senior asked, fingers gentle as they touched the the reddened skin.

Tsukasa slowly shook his head. There really was no hiding anything from Arashi, though he felt miserable admitting it. “To tell the truth… I had quite the restless sleep.”

“Oh, you poor thing,” Arashi said, eyes full of sympathy. “It must have been painful… Your duel with the king wasn’t a fun duel to watch.”

Tsukasa averted his eyes. “The king… I was a fool. I’ve only seemed to anger him.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, dear… I’m sure he’ll come around. He’s not as... unforgiving as he makes himself out to be.”

Something shifted in Arashi’s voice, and as Tsukasa glanced back at his senior, he could have sworn there was something strained about Arashi’s expression. But in an instant, it was gone, the soft smile returning to those beautiful features.

Arashi finished tying the clean cloth around his arm with deft fingers and gingerly patted his handiwork. “There you are, Tsukasa-chan. Nice and clean.”

“...Thank you.” Tsukasa nodded slowly to Arashi and leaned his head back into his pillows. “Your handiwork is as polished as ever, Narukami-senpai.”

“Oh goodness, the compliment is much appreciated,” Arashi giggled as he gathered up his materials. “You learn a thing or two living all alone in the mountains for a while.

“Now, get yourself dressed and ready for morning duties. Who knows what’ll be in store for us this time.” Arashi laughed lightly once more and went to the door, closing it behind him.

Tsukasa took a deep breath. Well, it was time to get up and deal with what was ahead of him, instead of holing up in his room. 

Sighing, he got dressed and made his way out of his room. Whatever duties the king gave him this morning, Tsukasa told himself he would uphold his pride as a knight and carry them out without fail. There were more important things than his personal feelings - perhaps that was the biggest lesson he had to learn from this last duel, which he’d so carelessly gone along with. He would eventually have to pay for his rash behavior.

 

**Leo:** For first few hours he actually managed to sleep, using of his free morning as much as he could, not having to bother with his low mood. However, as he woken up he remembered clearly yesterday’s duel and how he failed to control himself properly just for the sake of easing up his frustrations. He couldn’t help but wonder if Suo took care of his wound and how bad it was…

The king has sighed getting up slowly, unable to wash away the disappointment he felt. He was starting to have so much fun with the young heir but now he had no choice but to do something to protect him. On a top of everything, Leo himself was too afraid. He hated to be in such mood, it’s definitely going to affect him and his relations in the castle.

Slowly, he started dressing up, not bothering to call for any servant. One of specific things Leo did as a king was avoiding using most of maids services as he never had much to do with it in the past. Today though, he felt he could have lunch in his chambers instead of coming down to see his knights. As long as Sena knew where he was, there was nothing wrong about it, right? He’ll be soon here anyway.

“Sena, come in and eat with me~!” he greeted his guards commander when he came to check on him. The man raised his brow but didn’t say anything, obediently heading from bedroom area to the living room one, sitting at the table where almost everything was already prepared for two people.

“You don’t feel too social today, hm ousama?” he finally asked, crossing his legs and arms instead of starting to eat. “Are you that angry with Kasa-kun?”

Leo smiled slightly, hearing how straight to the point his friends is but shook his head.

“Can’t blame someone that they are young and falling in love, can I?” he decided to answer honestly, letting out a big sigh.

“Yes. You especially have no right to do that.”

“...Rude!”

“But I doubt avoiding him will change anything, Leo-kun.” Leo’s heart skipped a beat, hearing an old nickname. He hasn’t heard it… in months, probably. Izumi never called him that when they weren’t alone and now that Leo became a king… it almost never happened. “You know how stubborn Kasa-kun is. I bet he’ll be doing everything now to make you forgive him.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?? I have nothing to forgive him? This is such a bother…” The king whined and hung his head low, sulking. For a while there was a silence between them, Izumi starting to eat and the king playing with his fork, deep in his thoughts.

“...I don’t know, you’re stressing over it too much, it’s annoying!” Finally the knight spoke up shaking his head. “Besides, it’s not my business and you have more experience than me when it comes to it…” There was a blush forming on silverhead’s face and Leo looked at him with a wonder.

“Sena, do you still-”

“You’re too full of yourself, okay?! I have my oaths as your knight and I’m not making all young knights around me fall for me like certain someone!”

“What?! Now it’s my fault?!”

“How is it not, ousama of broken hearts!”

“WHAT??”

In the end they ended up almost fighting over the table and Leo ended up even more confused than before. Mixed up he was mentally preparing to face his knights and tell them about his plans to leave the castle in secret. He didn’t want to worry anyone after all and he was so itching to have a while for himself finally… It will help him to clear up his head when it came to Tsukasa Suou, too.

In silence they headed to the audience fall, where Izumi was supposed to announce knight’s schedules for a following month. After that, two of them usually listened to them if they wanted to change something. Leo was usually as lenient about it as possible. He didn’t want to seem as one that strains his knights too much. In the hall he quickly gazed at other three kingsguard, standing the closest to the throne. His eyes caught the youngest one’s way too quickly and stern expression appeared on his face. He didn’t exactly want to face boy’s disappointment  but… what choice did he have the way things were now?

“I will announce now new schedules for each of you like every month. Later you can discuss possible changes with me or, kingsguard and close guard with me and the king directly.” Izumi said once Leo sat down.

 

**Tsukasa:**   Finally, this time, he was going to catch the king’s eyes. He missed the chance in the morning when he finally trudged out to the audience hall, fully dressed, only for Izumi to tell him everyone had the morning off. 

Having been told to come back in the afternoon for monthly scheduling, Tsukasa suddenly found himself with hours of time on his hands. He couldn’t do any weapon training, for his arm was still healing. Frustrated, he turned to one of his usual means of cooling himself down - reading through the dusty old tomes of the library, turning the thick pages tightly packed with neat writing, reading of battles long past. They were not the most glamorous of tales, but they were filled with important lessons about valor, chivalry, loyalty. They were things he told himself never to forget, as he waited in the afternoon for the king to make an appearance.

The king only spared him a glance, and a hard one at that. Tsukasa gulped.

“Naru-kun, you’ll be tasked with domestic management this month. Keep those squires in line.”

“As you wish, Izumi-chan~”

“It’s not as I wish, it is as the king wishes. And you will refer to me as your senior in public settings.”

“Ah, sure sure.”

Izumi frowned, reading down the page he was holding.

“Kasa-kun, perimeter control.”

Tsukasa opened his mouth. Had he heard wrong? That was his name, right?

“Kuma-kun, you’ll be with me on diplomatic duty with the king.”

“Mnn… Alright.”

Tsukasa glanced over at Ritsu, who looked altogether uninterested in serving the king directly. He then turned to Izumi, whose frown had grown deeper. Then he finally looked at the king, who wasn’t looking at him.

“If… If I may…”

Izumi’s eyes slid down to meet his, and Tsukasa felt the intimidation fall over him. But, he inhaled deeply and continued.

“I realize this can be discussed later as well, when the castle is less busy,” he began, his voice as steady as he could keep it. “But I pause to question why my regular duties have changed so suddenly. Surely, I am mishearing? I am a kingsguard, am I not?”

 

**Leo:** Usually he was absolutely bored during these meetings. This time however, slight nervousness creeped into his mind as he half-carefully listened to Sena. The king almost looked like sitting on a throne was a punishment for him right now and truly, that's almost as he felt now. He curled up his legs on decorative chair, looking all around. The king was counting seconds from Izumi’s characteristic “Kasa-kun” to the youngest knight speaking up hesitantly and he closed eyes, forcing a smile. 

“Alright. Regular knights, soldiers and castle’s guards are dismissed. You can nag Sena tomorrow if you think he messed something up, wahaha!” Leo stood up and all men bowed before him before slowly leaving the hall. He waited patiently for everyone except his kingsguard to leave and let out a loud sigh, taking off the crown and unbuttoning a bit his jacket. 

“Hwahh! I'm really not in the mood to be the king today, huh!” he noticed shaking his head and clapping his cheeks few times. “Suo, you discuss your complaints with me and Sena. After everyone leaves. Why make it public that my guards can't agree with my decisions? Are you my knight, or not?” Leo's voice was only slightly scolding but not as strict as it was few months ago. It was hard to get in the role now… he didn't dislike this kid after all. Admittedly, he enjoyed his presence a bit too much… 

“And that's the answer to your question! I won't really need more guards, especially wounded ones, this month anyway!” That's right, he will leave the castle soon anyway. Just the thought of it sent a wave of excitement through his body. Only now he looked at Tsukasa, waiting for his answer. In that proud armor you wouldn't be able to actually tell that redhead got hurt. Leo knew his knight probably won't give up just yet but he really wanted to be done with his complaints fast and tell them about his and Ritsu’s idea. 

 

**Tsukasa:** As he began to protest again, Tsukasa happened to make eye contact with some of the guards and closed his mouth. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, the king was right in this case. His duties were not the business of the lower guard, and he had failed to show deference in public. It was a shame unbecoming of a kingsguard. But, well, if that was the shame that got him put on the outer skirts of the castle, he might have accepted it… 

“Your grace, I beg your forgiveness for acting out in public. I did not intend to undermine your authority,” he said, nodding his head slightly. He was about to say more, but the king had quickly closed the doors on the conversation - almost as if he was avoiding Tsukasa’s appeal. Needless to say, Tsukasa didn’t take it lightly. 

He stepped forward, despite the concerned looks from his seniors all around. He had expected a lecture, some harsh words about safety, some extra lessons, a temporary ban from participating in tournaments or from fighting in general. But this? “My king, this is unreasonable,” he said. “I may have gotten injured and shamed myself yesterday with my rashness, but have I shamed my king? My kingdom? Have I done something so insulting?”

 

**Leo:** Hearing the word “unreasonable” the king opened his mouth, the rest of knight’s words barely getting to him. He looked at Izumi and his friend shook his head while Ritsu looked absolutely amused with the look on his face now. He's been too used to people not talking to him in such manner, even with Tsukasa being a resident at the court it wasn't happening that often, the boy usually showing him respect. Just a while ago he thought how he still likes his presence but now it got irritating really fast. Leo took a deep breath before speaking, reminding himself he's not a brat to lose composure with just this.

“Indeed, Tsukasa Suou have not shamed neither me or my kingdom.” he said slowly, staring straight at redhead “However, it is my wish for you to remain on the low for this month. I understand you’d want to clean yourself from your shame but let me remind you of your position. You're my close guard and also my very dear subordinate. If the worst actually happened I won't let wounded knight risk their life for me, honor or whatever noble reason. Now, I hope you find my answer reasonable enough.” Keeping his composure never was his strong trait. Perhaps avoiding Suo won't be actually this hard, he needed some proper rest and relax desperately. Finally, after years of fighting for this kingdom he could allow himself to take it easy for a while. He won't let some young knight stress him out. Closing his eyes, the king sat back on the throne. 

 

**Tsukasa:** As if the king’s answer had punctured him somewhere, Tsukasa felt the anger quickly escaping from him. Well… he’d gotten some kind of answer. At the very least, he knew he hadn’t shamed his kingdom or put them all at risk. 

“My duty is protecting my king’s life and yet he is concerned about mine… I see… I suppose my injury could outlast my usefulness,” he said bitterly. He silently backed away, bowing his head again. “I thank you for hearing my selfish question, your grace.” But as much as his initial rancor had calmed down, there was still a hard lump of dissatisfaction in his throat. The king had only allayed his fears, but he felt like he was only left with more questions. He may not have had a lot of experience being a knight under the crown, but something about it still felt off to him. The king had spoken of concern, but it did quite the opposite of making Tsukasa feel cared for. 

As he turned to go back to his place, he caught the eye of none other than Arashi, who had been standing silently behind the confrontation. His senior’s eyebrows were turned up in worry, shapely lips hanging open a bit, as if wanting to say something. But they both remained silent as Tsukasa went back into place. He wanted to apologize to Arashi as well, for getting so riled up when his wound was still healing. 

When he got to his place, he stood at the ready to the best of his ability, though his frown proved very difficult to hide.

 

**Leo:** “It not only about your life… Use this month to learn how to treasure your life a bit more than your duty or honor though.” The king has sighed, not looking at Tsukasa anymore, his mind escaping to some far off memory. Unlike the Demon King he always cared for his knights, he would die trying to protect them… Has Tsukasa not realized it’s the main doctrine of his rule yet? 

Leo stood up again looking around the audience hall, wondering if it’s safe to tell his knights now about his plans. After all, it wasn’t something the court should know about too soon.

“Alright~ Now that Suo calmed down I have something important to discuss with you but let’s go elsewhere first!” He returned to his cheerful antics and went ahead, meeting with some surprised faces. Ah, there was a big chance they won’t agree with him again but…

With jumping steps the led the rest to their smaller dining hall and took his regular spot, resting hands on a table.

“I plan to leave the castle for a while.” the king announced before they even took their seats. Izumi scoffed, looking at him almost amused.

“What is this nonsense again, ousama? You don’t have any diplomatic visits in your schedule…” he finished with a bit of uncertainty while Ritsu giggled, looking at their king with a little smile.

“Ousama wants to escape~” he sing songed to meet Leo’s laugh as an answer.

“I wouldn’t call than an escape, Rittsu! It’s barely ousama’s deserved vacations! Wahahaha!”

“Vacations..? We can plan that if you want, this month is pretty-”

“No Sena, I don't want to take half of the court with me. I'm going to see Ruka-tan so I'd gladly go alone.” the king interrupted his commander that opened his mouth in disbelief. 

“You’re not going anywhere alone, you dumb idiot!”

“I can't endanger my sister and I will definitely see her, stupid Sena!” For a while both of them forgot their current positions and started to fight. They looked at the rest of knights and calmed down, shaking their heads.

“I understand that I'm going to stay here as your deputy but you must take your kingsguard with you.” Izumi was visibly nervous and annoyed but struggled for a calm tone. Leo put hand to his chin in wonder. He didn't want to attract any attention to himself but he realized going on his own wouldn't be too wise either… 

“Hmm… I can't leave you alone here either so maybe I shall take Rittsu or… Naru with me. What do you all think?”

 

**Tsukasa:**  Tsukasa could barely keep up with these constantly switching moods. That flighty king was slipping out of his hands again, moving on to the next thing with seemingly no effort.

However, he couldn’t deny that underneath all the disappointment just now, he was curious what Leo was planning. It wasn’t often that he would gather them all up for a meeting out of the blue. And with what the king announced next, it definitely seemed like he’d come up with his plans out of the blue as well.

“A journey…?” Tsukasa said to himself as the king went on. He’d recalled, somewhat, Leo speaking of a younger sister. He wondered how far away she was. It was enough to be worried, and Tsukasa found himself nodding along with Izumi’s protests. Letting the king go alone was simply against protocol, and Tsukasa wasn’t about to break that any more today.

He glanced at his seniors as the king requested their assistance. Ritsu, as usual, was slumping over, disheveled black hair falling over his drooping eyes.

“Mm… Sorry…”

Tsukasa’s eyes widened in shock. He’d been around Ritsu for a while, but to refuse a royal request so quickly was unthinkable.

“You’re gonna be outside in the sun for a long time. Have you seen what the sun does to me? Though… it is tempting to think I could have you all to myself.” Ritsu smirked, and Tsukasa felt a shiver go down his spine. “Thanks for the offer, my king.”

At Ritsu’s blunt refusal, all eyes turned to Arashi, the other one singled out by the king. The tallest knight had his usual smile on his face, though the air around him seemed to freeze solid.

“I’m quite alright, my king,” he said pleasantly. “I can’t just go leaving the little ones by themselves this month. The rest of the castle needs the guidance of a senior knight, after all. I am honored to have been requested, though.” He bowed his head slightly. His smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Finally, Tsukasa looked back at Izumi. With the king gone from the throne, ruling rights temporarily went to the commander of the guard. So that was that – three unavailable kingsguard… and a fourth, slightly injured one. The answer, to him, was clear.

“If… I may,” Tsukasa interjected tentatively, determined to push through his nervousness. “If my esteemed seniors are unavailable… may I offer my services?” He looked down briefly to take a breath, then continued. “My injury should not last for longer than a few days. I can be of useful company to you, and be the eyes behind you.”

 

**Leo:** Knights’ answers was something he expected yet he couldn't help feeling disappointed. The king groaned and sat down, crossing his arms. 

“Rittsu, I can't believe you just turned down our everlasting romance, ahh! What am I going to do now…” Leo sighed but then looked up at Arashi, man he didn't expect to refuse him in such uncomfortable circumstances. True, neither of them would feel well in this company at first but has Naru really not wished to fix anything? To talk it out? How is he even his king or comrade, has he not felt awkward after all that happened?

   Leo had too many questions now and he felt his patience to blonde knight’s behavior reaching its limit. Obviously, he was also to blame that things turned like this, the best he could do for Arashi was explain why he almost wasn't able to look at him in these last two years but… This castle was his home now. Has he not deserved to feel safe and comfortable at least here? He wished for kingsguard that would feel like a family to him, after all. 

“Naru” he said finally, forcing a wide smile but annoyance was written all over his face. “I want to talk to you after the meeting. I'm not taking any excuses.”

   Sena clicked his tongue and shook his head. It was more than obvious that his king decided to take some action. But it was beyond his power to convince Leo to keep Arashi as his kingsguard anymore. That brat obviously ignored all signs Leo gave him that he wants to put past behind them. At least that's what Leo thought he did. 

   Finally, the king turned his eyes to his youngest knight but perhaps because he was already visibly irritated his reply came out short and flat. 

“In the light of what I've said in the audience hall, I can't accept your offer, Suo.” he knew it means more protests and the boy was reasonable but that was too long of a journey for a newbie knight. And he knew if they stay alone for so long not only Tsukasa will fall for him more but he might also… he didn't want it. His heart belonged to the kingdom now.

 

**Tsukasa:**  “Oh my, what more could the king want from me…?” Arashi replied. He folded his arms and tilted his head in mock curiosity. It was clear he wasn’t happy at all, his high voice sounding incredibly fake.

The tense air among the kingsguard was something Tsukasa had never felt before. He was new, of course, and bound to make mistakes, but seeing negative emotions rise between his king and fellow knights felt as if the rug had been pulled out from under him. It was different from when he first came, when they seemed to be a perfect, connected unit – a family, as Leo had called it before. Clearly, something wasn’t right. The feeling had been tugging at him since breakfast yesterday morning.

Tsukasa hung his head and bit his lip. He didn’t want to protest and embarrass himself further, and apparently the king wasn’t having it. There were many more hidden things at work right now.

“I… understand.” It hurt his pride to give up like this, but if he’d learned anything from the recent happenings, it was to time his battles correctly. “But… my king, I agree with my seniors. It would not be wise to go alone on such a journey. I must ask you to reconsider once my wound heals; that is, if my seniors are unable to accompany you.”

He would do it - he would be more useful, somehow, when his handicap was behind him. He wasn’t the type to leave everything hanging. He would eventually prove himself and earn praise from the king, no matter what it took.

 

**Leo:** Having both of his knights decline Tsukasa's words sounded reasonable, Leo has to admit that but he found himself at loss how to answer him right on a spot. With a grimace on his face he closed his eyes, trying to find a solution of this situation. Truthfully, he could be better off alone and at least he'd get some fresh perspective of issues between kingsguard… Though most of them were probably his fault anyway. 

“You should finally consider getting more of close personnel in the castle, ousama.” The one to spoke up was Sena instead of him so he raised his head,expecting his friend to look at him irritated but that wasn't the case. It was the look of rapprochement though Leo had no idea why he got this impression at this very moment. “If you had actual deputy, I’d go with you even though it's long and damn annoying journey.”

“Ahh Sena, but I trust you the most! We're in this room together because of your recommendations after all.” Leo giggled softly and looked at the youngest knight. Ah, he could see this determination on a spot, he knew the way Tsukasa's eyes sparkled in such moments. How much he wanted to prove himself, get praised by a king and recognised by his seniors… has yesterday not taught him anything? 

“Suo, this journey isn't the duel or tournament with a special reward awaiting you at the end.” the king sighed, turning his gaze away. “How can you show me that you wouldn't endanger yourself like you did yesterday? As for now I'm not willing to change my decision. You need to have your lesson, too.“ he added a bit coldly. He's been Tsukasa's senior too and if he had too, he could be as strict as Sena after all. 

 

**Tsukasa:**   Tsukasa shook his head. “Perhaps this is a time when I am able to show you. Your grace has mentioned my lack of battle experience before… what better way to get experience than by my king’s side?” It was a last resort argument for him, perhaps, but there was simply no excuse to stagnate like this. A lesson was not learned through inaction.

“Mm… Suu-chan kind of has a point. Look at him go, being all hard-working.” Tsukasa turned. The sleepy knight was the last of the kingsguard that Tsukasa ever expected to back him up, but it was, without a doubt, Ritsu that spoke up.

Tsukasa looked back at the king. “I rest my case. If my king decides against it, then I shall stay. After all… as you mentioned, there are still many things I do not know. I am, as yet, very inexperienced.” He bowed and took a step back, amid concerned looks from his seniors.

Though he had said his piece, he did not feel any of his usual bravado and confidence come back to him. To be fair, he wasn’t even sure if what he was saying was right, when faced with so much resistance from the people around him. But, he felt, it was better to speak than stay silent. 

 

**Leo:** Ritsu's words came as a surprise not only to Tsukasa. Having made himself clear yesterday that he wants to do something about Suo’s feelings towards him later the king didn't expect his knight to speak up like this. He knew it was a reasonable proposal, he knew it made sense even if he might end up protecting the knight himself but he didn't want it, he didn't want to feel this painful tugging in his chest, he didn't want to get hopeful he might figure things out with him… He had to avoid this entire love affair ordeal with his knight at least once, he wasn't even in the clear with Naru yet..! 

“Rittsu, you traitor!” Frustrated wail escaped his mouth and small smile that was usually on vampire’s face disappeared as he looked up at his king. 

“Ousama, you're-” What knight was supposed to say sounded almost threatening but he was interrupted by Leo again that shook his head, feeling almost panicky at the moment. 

“Be quiet, I know! Ahh! I just wanted to tell you all about it without doing some grand escape plan and making the whole kingdom alert but this is turning out to be such a problem! Who would have thought my own knights would refuse to protect-”

“Leo~kuuun~” His own name in the mouth of his guards commander sounded in the castle for a second time this day but this time Leo could feel a shiver run down his entire body as he stopped his rambling and slowly looked at Izumi that glared at him with a clear murderous intent. 

“Disappear from the castle without a word and entire country looking for you will be your smallest problem. Understood?” Clearly, only Izumi Sena in the entire world had the privilege of speaking in such manner to his king and Leo only nodded, caught completely off guard. “And you're being an insensitive asshole right now. Calm down, it's annoying.”

“...Ugh, Sena!! You're also awful, I'm your king!” Leo shouted but it actually made him realise how he's behaving so the man rested forehead on his hands, staring at the table. He panicked here just now and felt like he could escape this very moment but his knights were right, he didn't have the luxury of going all alone anywhere...

“...Alright, I will reconsider my opinions. I won't turn you down now Suo, either… I should have stayed in bed today though, ahh…” he complained and stood up, approaching one of the windows. “This is all for today. I don't plan to do much today except for my regular evening routine so please enjoy the rest of the day. Well, except for Naru…” he added to himself the way only sitting next to him Izumi could hear it. 

 

**Tsukasa:** Tsukasa couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows at the unfolding reaction from his seniors. He had certainly seen Izumi get annoyed with their king before, but the low, slow tone was something he’d never heard before, and it gave him chills. Once again, Tsukasa was in awe of the relative power that his grumpy senior had.

But aside from the surprise, he felt a small bit of satisfaction that he wasn’t the only one standing up and nominating himself for such an important task. Perhaps he wasn’t so wrong after all; perhaps the tiny feeling of dissatisfaction he felt in his chest wasn’t unfounded. Really, support was very important for him. He made a mental note to himself to remember this later.

Relaxing for the first time today, Tsukasa bowed at the king’s dismissal. As he headed out, Ritsu trailed after him listlessly.

“Ritsu-senpai…” he said, once they were out of earshot of the dining hall. “Thank you for supporting me back there. To tell the truth, I was unsure of myself then.”

Ritsu shook his head, his expression rather serious. “It’s not something to be thanked for, it wasn’t really for you anyway. He just needs it, every once in a while.”

“I’m not sure I follow…”

“Well, it’s not really your business anyway, Suu-chan… At least for now~”

“What do you mean by that…?”

Ritsu gave him an impish smirk, and Tsukasa gulped at the sight of those sharp, alien teeth. “It’s a secret.”

Tsukasa pouted in response. “Ritsu-senpai, you are always so mysterious. Sometimes I feel as if you are teasing me.”

“Ufufu, who said I’m not?” Ritsu grinned.

They parted ways at the training grounds. Ritsu didn’t seem too happy with the fact that Tsukasa wanted to train, but left the boy alone anyway.

Tsukasa looked down at the training sword now in his hands. A little bit of hope had been instilled in him. He had a foothold now - if he could manage to convince the king to take him on that journey, he was sure many good things would happen to him. The danger itself was at the back of his mind.

But first, he thought, he needed to learn how to use a blade with his left hand too.

 

\----

 

**Arashi:**   Arashi didn’t want to admit it, but he did feel a bit left out. He’d gotten used to the feeling, of course, what with his strained relationship with the king extending for a few years now, his duties mostly consisting of managing the castle or manning the perimeter. He’d gotten great at solving problems and leadership, for sure, and he wasn’t about to complain about that. He also didn’t have to deal with the messy, dramatic web that was politics (though he did like hearing about the intrigue of passing guests from Izumi) nor did he have to train that hard for battle. He was comfortable, and he liked it.

But he did feel out of place. Izumi and Ritsu and the king all had their history together, and Tsukasa was rising quickly in their ranks with his raw talent and determination. Arashi, on the other hand, felt less like a kingsguard and more of a court official. And, he realized some time after it all begun, he’d gotten so used to it that he’d been imposing it on himself.

It was why, with all indignance he could muster, he did not want the same thing to happen to Tsukasa.

Ritsu and Tsukasa left the room, followed by Izumi. Arashi shared a small glance with his friend’s blue eyes, before Izumi turned and exited the room, leaving only a smiling knight and a tired king alone together.

“Isn’t that nice?” he asked, once he was sure the others had left. “Tsukasa-chan seems really willing to do his best… if you take him you won’t have to go all alone out there. It’d be such a lonely journey without someone to keep you company, don’t you think?”

 

**Leo:** Leo’s expected for this conversation with Naru to be unpleasant to him but with something sounding like a concern in his voice he could feel as if something stung him in the chest. Has he really cared if his king will be lonely on a journey or was it barely something he said to make such impression? Leo was tired with trying to guess and this day was already bad enough, he won't be tolerating this awkward, mistrustful atmosphere with his personal knight anymore. It had to be settled tonight. Two years was way too much of a time. 

He sighed deeply, looking at Arashi, at the moment hating everything that was soft and beautiful about this man. Even in a moment like this, his stature was graceful, flawless. 

“Uhh! Why do you even care if I will be lonely or not, Naru?” he complained, shaking his head “Don't even look at me like this, it hurts and brings back memories that are only haunting me now! Old me would change a topic and run away, it's so tempting even now but that wouldn't solve anything, would it?” he himself was trying for a more cheerful tone, even though he haven't felt so moody and strained in a while. 

Yet he pushed past his uneasiness once more, deciding to approach Arashi, closing the distance between them and looking up into his knights lavender eyes. 

“I don't want to talk about Suo with you, Naru. You know well enough how this silly, determined knight started looking at me but I'm going to worry about that later. Instead I want from Naru a honest, clear answer you why did you refuse to go with me. I hope you understand I can't keep a kingsguard that is avoiding me. It doesn't make sense, does it?” There was no trace of fake cheerfulness in Leo’s voice anymore as it became almost dry. He knew sending Naru off would damage the family picture he created and he was important senior for other knights but he had to clear this up, maybe Leo was used by him but  at least the rest meant something to that man, right? 

“Isn't that frustrating for you as a kingsguard?” He won't let Arashi avoid him again, not this time. 

 

**Arashi:**   Well, being friendly was worth a try. Leo wasn't unreasonable - in fact, the king's direct mention of past memories started to make his heart hurt - but if Arashi could somehow avoid creating unnecessary tension, he would.   
He took a step back, his smile wary. "Oh, I was under the impression that my king wanted me to take over such duties," he said carefully. "It's been so long since I protected the king directly, after all. My, it wouldn't make any sense to have me try to protect you for such a long, long journey."   
Part of this was true, of course, he'd accepted the last two years as a punishment of sorts, and he really was rusty with his sword. But it was honestly too difficult to pull himself out of this comfortable rut now - even if the king was trying to corner him.   
"I daresay Tsukasa-chan is the main topic of the evening though, what with fighting with his king every step of the way. Shouldn't you forgive him a little more...? He's trying so earnestly to serve you. Practically a model kingsguard, if I do say so myself."   
Maybe the king would take his bait and get distracted with Tsukasa. It was clear, either way, that the king was showing some interest in the boy, something Arashi remembered very clearly from the name's day feast despite having downed a large portion of wine. Arashi could even guess why Leo was hesitating with Tsukasa so much. The best he could do to make up for everything was try to push them closer together, and push them further away from the hurt that clouded himself and the king.

 

**Leo:** Leo bit his lip, trying his best to not interrupt the blonde as he went on with his excuses though his patience was already ending. True, he's noticed Arashi didn't feel comfortable on his first escorts after two years and he kept his distance as well but it never meant he should stop his training. For Leo, that was doing it despite his current position just for the purpose of keeping his body in shape, it didn't make sense.

“You've been on escorting duty as well last month. I thought you'd realize I want to try putting it all behind us… It was pretty awkward attempt but…” As Arashi took a step back he lowered his head. In fact, it was still hard to do that, even now he could feel sadness and anger overtaking his thoughts. He still felt betrayed, he still didn't understand why it all happened and there was so much guilt also plaguing his mind. He knew well in what sorry state he's been back then, the king wondered very often if he hasn't burdened Arashi too much...

He was starting to feel sad above anything but his knight decided to mention Tsukasa once more. It was one time too much for him to control himself and he looked up at Arashi again, taking few steps towards him and grabbing the material part on his armor. Hurt and anger were mixed in his eyes once he caught Arashi’s and his lips trembled as if they were ready to let out a sob instead of pained words. 

“You have no right to tell me what I'm supposed to do with Suo after what you've done! Do you really think that if you push me into his arms I'll forget what happened?? You never gave me any explanation, Naru!” His grip on material tightened as if Leo was trying to force himself to stay in that spot and continue though he wanted to be as far from Arashi as possible. 

 

**Arashi:** The king grabbed onto his armor and started shouting at him, and any last trace of smile melted off Arashi's face.

"Excuse me your majesty, but hands off. I don't want to be roughed up like this," he said, frowning in building annoyance. "Did you call me over just to fight with me? I didn't want our first contact in years to be something like this."

Of course, he thought, the king was a fan of fights after all - maybe it wasn't with swords, but it seemed like Leo wanted to have some sort of verbal altercation. He tried his best to remain calm, but the displeasure was written all over his face.

"Anyway, aren't you the one who's been treating Tsukasa-chan too harshly? Look at how hard he's been trying! Give the boy some credit, don't just throw him on the sidelines so quickly." Arashi's voice was close to scolding. He didn't want to acknowledge whatever questions Leo had. He didn't see what their past had to do with Leo's decisions, after all.

 

**Leo:** Arashi was right. Leo was indeed rough and ready to pick up a fight with him. He was reasonable enough to admit it now as much as knight dunking his questions was infuriating him even more. But maybe when it came Arashi, a fight wasn’t the best solution, it never was after all. 

"I called you... To decide on your future in the castle" he answered slowly, forcing as calm voice as possible though he was shouting just a while ago. He didn't let go of Arashi's armor though, as if fearing he'll slip from between his fingers like always. 

"I told you I don't want you to talk about Suo. Why do you think I want to avoid him? To go through this mess again, to hurt him?! I thought of all people at least you would understand..." Leo lowered his head, as if accepting Arashi's scolding. He didn't understand, was he wrong this whole time? Why Naru couldn't just give him any reason why it ended up like this. 

 

**Arashi:** "My future? Why are we still talking about me?" Arashi looked at him in confusion. He couldn't foresee a future other than doing the same thing he'd always done. If Leo wanted to kick him out, it was terribly late for that.... though he wouldn't blame the king for wanting to, after all.

He wanted to break out of the king's grip, but something told him that wouldn't be the wisest move.

"I want to say I understand, but all I'm seeing is a boy who tried so hard to get acknowledged by you only to mess up for a single day! Are you seriously comparing that to... whatever happened in the past?" Arashi looked at Leo disapprovingly. "I treated him this morning, you know? He was upset and wanted to make it up to you somehow!"

 

**Leo:** "You're my kingsguard, you're not meant to train squires for the entirety of your life. Why are you not trying to fix that even when I'm giving you the chance?" Leo shook his head, unable to look in Arashi's eyes again. "You're not giving me any chance to trust you again..." 

To think there was a while when he thought it was possible. Arashi's words stung him painfully. 'Whatever happened'... Has it meant so little to this knight? Did he have to admit in front of him how damaging it actually was? But it seemed to mean nothing to him. 

"I am... Afraid." he finally said, after taking a deep breath. "I'm not angry with him, but I'm afraid of falling for him, or him having feelings for me because... I still don't understand why did you leave me, what did i do wrong... Even if I wanted to I won't be able to avoid that again!" he bit his lip and looked elsewhere, tears gathering in his eyes. Why did he bother explaining if it didn't matter to Arashi? Maybe only he was the fool that wasn't able to move forward. 

 

**Arashi:** "That was meant as a chance? Not some desperate attempt to find someone else because you didn't want to go with Tsukasa-chan?" Arashi felt indignant. He didn't want to be treated like some second choice. He had already been Leo's second man once, and that was already one too many times. Training squires for the rest of his life might even be preferable.

But even as Arashi said this, the king seemed to falter, his voice unsteady. Arashi felt his annoyance waver. Whether it was sympathy, empathy, or just some heavy emotions, curses - hot tears pricked the edges of his eyes. He didn't want Leo to see it, lest the growing knot of guilt in his stomach become too obvious, so he turned his face away.

"You... didn't do anything wrong," he said miserably, trying to hold in those hot, embarrassed tears. "You didn't." It was me, he wanted to say, but the shame died on his lips.

 

**Leo:** "I wanted to..." Explanation got stuck in his throat. He wanted to escape. To break free from this castle for a while and breathe with an air different than this one stuffed with drama and his mistakes. That probably wasn't something he should tell Arashi to convince him and the topic already seemed to change for good now when he felt the movement and raised his head to see the knight isn't looking at him anymore.

These were only few words he got back from Naru. Few words that shaken entirely the world Leo built after they parted their ways. He finally let go of Arashi's armor, looking at him blankly.

"Then what happened..?" His voice was higher than usually as his lips trembled. "I did so many things wrong two years ago! And... I wrapped you up in all this and... you're telling me now it's not my fault..?" He couldn't stop the sob anymore, he wanted to ask if he was used them but there was this huge knot on his throat and he wasn't able to say anything anymore, just wait for Arashi's answer as first tears run down his cheeks

 

**Arashi:** "How unfair, your grace..." Arashi pouted, hoping the expression would mask his slowly reddening eyes. 

"You tell me I have no right to talk, but then you say it's your fault... As unpredictable as ever..."

He sniffed and gulped down the lump in his throat. His resolve to stay emotionally out of this altercation was slowly crumbling. Wiping a tear or two away from his eyes, he continued.

"Look, none of it is your fault. You've always been there for everyone the best you can... I remember you were so stressed at that time. Of course things wouldn't have gone smoothly. You shouldn't be putting that burden all on yourself. Gods, please don't cry..."

He chewed on his bottom lip. Of course the king did and said things that really threw him off, but it was nothing threatening. Nothing that made Arashi want to stop being around him.

"That time..." he began, still avoiding the king's eyes, for if he saw the hurt in them now, he knew he would cry. 

"I'm sorry. You said you're scared now, but I guess... well, you know, it was me who was scared. It was me being a bit of... a lot of a fool. I'm really sorry."

 

**Leo:** Naru asked him to not cry but he could feel only more tears gathering in his eyes and the old pain he was experiencing since he's been left by the knights returned, though subdued. It was the past, he knew it all too well.

"You never gave me any reason, it... it hurt so much to look at you... Naru, I'm so sorry." Leo shook his head, it was hard for him to understand what Arashi meant in this moment, his mind stuck on the guilt he felt this whole time. Of course, except for anger he very often also felt bad about putting the knight on sidelines. He had to let go of it all.

"I don't understand, were you scared of me..? That it was foolish to be close to the king? Or... Were I a burden, Naru?" 

It was actually him to take a step back though he still tried his best to look at Arashi. He's been sniffling, trying to hold back sobs seeing that knight is trying to do the same. It wasn't exactly what he expected from this conversation but there was no backing away now. He at least deserved to understand.

 

**Arashi:** "Gods... I said not to cry..." Arashi sniffed, more tears pouring out of his eyes. He couldn't help but think Leo's crying and sniffling sounded so small... for someone who was king of a whole country, Leo had showed so many of his weakest sides to Arashi. That thought tugged at his heart, and he finally turned his eyes toward the king.

"No..." He shook his head, taking a deep breath. "I don't blame you for putting me aside... I just didn't want it to happen all over again.

"I'm sorry for leaving it be for so long. I didn't realize you would blame yourself so much. I was naive for thinking you wouldn't. ...no, I convinced myself you wouldn't." The long-missing smile slowly returned to his face, soft, full of bittersweetness. "A long time ago, there was someone I loved very much, but, you see... he, um, he..." Arashi half-laughed, half-sobbed at his own hesitation. 

Nervously, he ran his fingers through his own hair, wondering if he should just go ahead and say it. He'd never said it aloud to anyone before. Even when Izumi had casually asked him what happened deep in the mountains, Arashi had only mysteriously smiled in response, and that was that. Izumi didn't push. But Leo... somehow Leo always brought out this terrible honesty from him. Leo, with his little honest heart, had trapped Arashi between truth and lies.

"He was killed. I watched it happen. A knife slid right across his throat. It was... awful, you wouldn't even know... but somehow, in some way, my foolish mind was thinking the same thing would happen to you. I couldn't stand that. It was such a stupid reason to hurt you so much..."

He breathed a heavy sigh. Tears threatened to spring up in his eyes once more, but he forcibly held them back. He at least wouldn't cry here... he thought, blinking, vision blurring, the cursed droplets escaping down his cheeks.

 

**Leo:** Leo indeed felt weak. He's been waiting for this moment for so long but now that he was getting an explanation he almost felt mentally unable to hear through it all. And yet, as Arashi's tears also fell down his stopped and he looked at the face he always loved, tears creating paths down cheeks he hugged so many times... He still felt some sort of fondness to Arashi's beauty and delicate, soft heart, Leo thought sighing and sniffing few more times after Naru stopped talking.

There was something he could still do for him, even if everything was ruined... No, even if their fears ruined everything. Leo was still the king, someone that was to stand unshaken despite everything crumbling. Even if at times he realized he's just as broken himself. It didn't stop him from raising his arms and wrapping them around Arashi's neck, bringing him in a warm embrace and letting his head rest on his shoulder as if all that time, all that hurt, and all these tears meant nothing to him.

"I understand" Leo whispered, feeling that his voice might break if he speaks louder. "I've seen something similar, the sight really doesn't... leave for years. I was only selfishly happy it wasn't someone I really cared for..." It was almost funny how calmly he could talk about it now, he noticed as he reached to Naru's head, stroking his hair slowly.

"You did love me, too... didn't you Naru?" Even his whisper broke in a sob. Leo took a shaky breath, closing his eyes. "Because I..." I loved you too, he wasn't able to finish.

 

**Arashi:** The first thing Arashi thought was he was glad Leo couldn't see his face.  
Leo holding him like this made him feel so vulnerable. It was that same naked feeling that tore at his chest two years ago, when he'd spoken a few words and gave the king fresh wounds, and closed off all routes to his own heart.  
But when Leo's arms closed around his neck, closed the distance between them in this single moment, the walls crumbled away. Why was he being comforted? Wasn't the king the one hurting? Why was he crying, revealing his life story? Tears fell in streams down his face, small whimpers squeezing through his tightening throat.  
"You silly king... You're the one who got hurt..." He reached up a hand to touch Leo's hair, the other arm curling around the king's back in an awkward embrace. "I know. You don't have to say it... I know... you did. I just... hah, I just didn't understand myself then... Maybe you're right, maybe I was... having such feelings for you..."  
His hug grew tighter, holding the small, weakened king to his chest, sobbing and sniffling. The familiar feeling of the king's warmth, which had made him so happy on the past, only broke his heart further.  
"I'm sorry... I'm so late."

 

**Leo:** He thought he experienced all kinds of hurt in his life already. He went through devastating feelings that made him loathe himself to no end, through pain that made him laugh like a madman before, through thoughts so overwhelming he'd rather kill himself, he experienced a heartbreak already, too. But for a first time Leo has felt sadness so deep it touched every bit of his heart and inner world.   
I did love you... I was having such feelings for you... It was already all over long ago, they just never had a chance to say goodbye to each other properly. Leo wasn't able to suppress a long wail and he hid his face in Arashi's shoulder, curling his fingers on knight's hair. It hurt so much, he couldn't stop the sobs, he wasn't able to be strong anymore.   
"I did..! I did..! Naru, what have we done..." Whatever he wanted to say now, it was absolute nonsense. An awful mix of old regrets and feelings that were no more. There was nothing to be angry about.   
He let himself sob into the hold for few more whiles, feeling that he's standing on his feet only thanks to this embrace.   
"I... It's alright now..." he finally whispered with a hoarse voice as he nuzzled into Arashi's neck. "I wanted to forgive you in the first place... You just need to let me, Naru."

 

**Arashi:**   He'd cried before, of course - in bitterness, in sadness, in shame - but never had he regretted something so much. He couldn't breathe. His labored breathing seemed to force tears out of his eyes one after another, falling into the corners of his mouth and dripping down his chin. He'd lost his chance at something really special. What have they done, indeed.

Amid all this pain, though, the king's sobs struck a greater chord in him. Overwhelmed, he held Leo close, leaning his head on that soft, orange hair. It reminded him of years ago, somehow. He remembered how Leo would come into his room and rest of his lap or his bed, dark circles under those greenish eyes. There were times when Leo would move or talk in his sleep, and Arashi would sit, as he always did, and stroke the king's hair until the nightmares seemed to subside. So, just as he did before, Arashi gentle ran his fingers through those orange locks. It was the least he could do now, even as his tears gently fell down and mixed into Leo's hair.

When the king finally calmed down, Arashi still held onto him, afraid Leo might crumble apart if he let go.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you never did forgive me," he said, still running a hand over Leo's head. "But I suppose that wouldn't be like you, hm? You're a real kind king, you know." He wiped his own tears and sniffed. "We're all so lucky to have you here, leading us. Even me..."

He chuckled and smiled to himself. As he said this, he realized that, above all, he'd forgotten what it was that made him love the king. He'd really been a selfish fool. "Thank you, my king. Thank you."

 

**Leo:**   In truth, he wasn't becoming much calmer or has he became so fragile from all this crying? He felt almost as weak and restless as few years ago but despite that he knew that after this evening his heart would finally stop tightening painfully in his chest whenever he's seen the blonde knight. 

He sighed into this so familiar, comforting warmth, not bothered with few tears still falling down his cheeks. 

He's not going to give up completely on this comfort, he still craved it. The king decided in his mind, focusing on fingers running through his hair as he closed his already swollen from tears eyes.

"I'm not that forgetful, Naru... Nor as kind as you all seem to think I am." The king smiled and would have laughed if his voice wasn't breaking so badly from all that sobbing before. "How would I even be able to send off a knight so warm and supportive... I told you, you're a part of my family now..."

Though he felt incredibly weak, he managed to raise his head slightly and leave on Arashi's hair a small kiss. Finally, it didn't feel so awkward to do so. 

"Naru~" his voice sounded melodic, full of relief he needed so desperately before. "Let's try starting over again. I don't want you on my sidelines anymore!" his wit and humor started to return slowly but he wasn't letting go of the knight. Ah, he felt so tired... 

 

**Arashi:** The king seemed to relax in his arms, and despite the extra weight, Arashi's heart felt lighter. It felt like forever since Leo was so honest with him... or perhaps it had been forever since he really listened to Leo. There were so many things about the king that Arashi never knew, and still so many things he was sure Leo would keep secret from even his own knights. This king, who thought he wasn't kind or wasn't deserving, needed him right now to understand and support him with those secrets. He'd been called "warm and supportive", after all. He couldn't insist on distancing himself any longer.  
"I can't believe I feel so relieved hearing you say 'Naru' like that again... What has your grace done to me?" He laughed, noticing the king starting to feel calmer as well. The tiny flip in his chest when the king kissed his head made him feel a bit giddy. How warm it felt now.  
"Starting over, huh? You know, I think I've come to a new realization," he continued. "So, I'll have to insist you let me guard my king again."  
He gave Leo one last squeeze, then leaned back a bit with the king still in his arms, looking into those green eyes still red and swollen from crying. Arashi had to admit, the sight was even a little endearing.  
"Come," he said. "Let me take care of you for a bit. We can't let the other kingsguard see their beloved king in such a state, can we?"

 

**Leo:** "Naru~! I'm so glad!" The king's voice was so grating, he felt so wrecked he couldn't even force himself to jump in happiness. Leo returned the squeeze with a wide smile before he allowed Arashi to lean back.  
"Ah heavens, this is embarrassing, not even Sena has seen me crying so much... What do you want to do..?" Leo raised his hand to wipe away remaining tears on a shelve of his official outfit.  
His was quiet and calm, this conversation exhausted him more than he expected. It didn't matter though. They are finally able to restore the trust between them, he could try leaning on Arashi again. He believed it was a relief for his knight, too.   
"I swear on my honor to protect you and your secrets too, Naru." he put his hand on the heart and bowed lightly in this small vow. "I want to ask you again to accompany you in my journey though... I actually really want to get back some of the time we lost." He was far from thinking about avoiding Tsukasa now. If Arashi refuses he'll just have to accept it.

 

**Arashi:** "Hm, I don't think Izumi-chan has ever seen me this emotional either. How embarrassing," Arashi chuckled. "It makes me feel so tired. I can only imagine you're ten times as exhausted, your grace, what with all the stress earlier too."  
He could feel the smile genuinely returning to his face now. As ridiculous as he must look with a smile after getting his eyes all swollen and red, he couldn't help but find the king's sincerity extremely charming. Leo said he'd keep secrets, and Arashi believed it without a doubt. It was a token of the trust they were slowly starting to forge again.  
The king's offer, however, came as a surprise.   
"My, I almost forgot our original topic, how careless of me! I suppose I don't have any reasons left not to go with you..." he said, hesitating for a moment. Reservations about being alone with the king now swept aside, he didn't have any excuses... nor did he feel like he had to make them either. However...  
"I would not say no, but before I agree to anything, my king, I think you should have another talk with Tsukasa-chan. That boy tried so hard to get your attention and is still so unaware of everything that's been going on, he at least deserves a word from you."

 

**Leo:** "Ah..." The king coughed, trying to swallow the lump in his throat and tried to laugh though it was almost painful at the moment. "I don't want to see Sena's worried face, you know? He'd let slide many stupid things I do once he saw I'm having a hard time..."   
What he wanted now is return to bed and sleep. In someone's arms preferably though it was simply a wishful thinking. Warm milk before sleep should do him good enough.   
Arashi's answer wasn't exactly what he expected though considering their entire conversation it was hard to have any expectations to begin with. He didn't say "no" as bluntly as before, when he had clear reasons why he wouldn't want to go with him. Yet, Arashi was insisting he talked to Tsukasa and Leo frowned, taking a small step back.   
"Mmm... What am I even supposed to tell him..? Naru, he doesn't even remember he offered his whole life to me and I sworn to protect this precious, silly life of his..." Leo shook his head and turned his head, bitting his bottom lips. The trouble was written all over his face and he couldn't make himself to hide that from Arashi. In such moment and setting, when they could build foundations of something amazing again, it wouldn't be wise to pretend anything. "I was careless... It's fun to hang around with him but at this rate he'll have himself hurt if he gets closer to me... What am I supposed to tell unaware boy..?" he added with almost a whisper. On a top of everything, Leo always had trouble to share bits about himself. It was an ugly, bittersweet story where his knights were the only bright moments. He'll do anything to keep it this way, everything was better than tainting his youngest knight. 

 

**Arashi:**   "Comfort isn't exactly Izumi-chan's strong point, is it?" Arashi commented with a small laugh.

He watched as the king hesitated to answer to his suggestion. It seemed Leo was, reasonably, worried about revealing the painful things that happened to him and dragging the boy down with him. Tsukasa was certainly a pure soul, untouched by the deaths and betrayal so often encountered by others of his age. Leo's concern was understandable; Arashi himself would never think to tell Tsukasa, or anyone for that matter about his depressing secrets. But maybe, Arashi thought, the king was overthinking it a bit.

"My king... past aside, you could at least give him a word or two before making a decision," he said, placing a hand on Leo's shoulder. "He already upset his king once, you know. The poor boy is worried sick about his position with you, and you left him on a 'maybe'. Talking to him one more time before revealing any final decisions may at least make him feel better. Is that not also a way of protecting him?"

 

**Leo:**   "Oh... Wahahah, that's what you meant. Naru, you could be clearer for your slow king sometimes..." Giggling awkwardly, Leo reached to Arashi's hand on his shoulder and held it carefully. Not because he didn't want to be touched by him, quite the contrary, he didn't have enough of a skinship yet. It reminded him how then hugged and cuddled since very beginning... The king vaguely wondered if it's possible to fall for someone all over again bit he wasn't exactly willing to try. Definitely not now, when he felt so weak, anything could make him cry again... 

"I could do that... No, I have to do that, you're right Naru. He'd like to feel he has any say in this, huh..?" he smiled looking at Arashi's hand. He closed his tired eyes, figuring that I would give him the peace of mind and sense of having control over the situation again. There was nothing wrong with talking to Tsukasa, right? He's been also curious how bad the wound from yesterday actually is. 

"Alright, Naru. I'll observe him on an evening training and then talk to him. Thank you for not turning down my offer completely, I'm really glad..." he raised his head, bright yet soft smile on his face. He never expected this encounter with his knight would get such satisfying conclusion.  He's been blessed, truly blessed by his shining knights. 

 

**Arashi:**   Arashi nodded, gripping the king’s hand. It had been a long, long time since he felt the desire to hold Leo and comfort him, and it was now coming back in full force. For once, he didn’t interpret it as some intense form of love, either – it was love, yes, but it felt like his duty as well. What would one call this… loyalty? His past self would have laughed at him.

“Like I said, I’ve realized something new. Plus, wouldn’t it be awful to refuse you again after all that? My earlier excuse wasn’t the best. Izumi-chan can train squires instead, he sure loves taking care of the littles ones, after all, fufu…” He laughed to himself, imagining Izumi instructing all the untrained, budding knights. Surely, they would start to think of him as a mother before long. “But let’s see what Tsukasa-chan says, okay? I’m glad you seem up for it.”

He looked at Leo’s face, returning the soft smile with one of his own. The king looked tired, as was his right to be after everything that had happened today. “But before that, shall we take a rest? I can order some warm milk for you, as usual.” He gave the king a little wink.

 

**Leo:**   He still held on Arashi's hand, relief and happiness washing over his tired, stressed mind. Leo has come to realise it must be because he never wanted to let go of the man entirely. He kept saying that his kingsguard are his family, that he'll never give up on them and here, he almost did. The king opened his wounded heart to that man once more and it got embraced with care and softness it was lacking this whole time. Needless to say, he was touched with the outcome of this conversation to his very core. 

He raised Arashi's hand and nuzzled his cheek into it, his eyes closed, leaking few tears. Ah, Naru still smelled as nice as always, too... 

"Welcome back, Naru..." he whispered, wide smile on his face. After a while he laughed though, shaking his head lightly. 

"I suppose you need to start attending practices more often, again... You've always been my favourite sparring partner... I really missed it." Leo sighed happily and looked at his knight. 

"I certainly deserve a hot, sweet milk and some cuddling session! Look what my knights are doing to me, Naru! Wahahaha!" His laugh was still rather soft but joyful. 

 

**Arashi:** Oh, goodness… he thought, as the king welcomed him back, and he felt an unprecedented wave of emotion grip his heart. He blinked a few times, biting his lip in an awkward smile, though a few tears still somehow escaped down his cheeks. With a touch of his long, delicate fingers, he wiped them away from his eyes, sniffling.

“Oh my, I don’t know what’s come over me,” he said. “It’s not like I ever enjoyed fighting that much, you know? Though, I mean, sparring with my king wasn’t so bad.” He looked away sheepishly. He still remembered the match they had, hours before they shared their first kiss on Arashi’s bed. How he had been so afraid of his own strength back then.

“Cuddling? Asking for so much after we just had a heart to heart? How bold, your grace… It really has been a long time, huh.” He smiled in genuine relief, taking Leo’s other hand in his own. “Come, let’s head back to the chambers for a while. I’ll send for someone to get you a warm drink on the way.” With a gentle tug, he led his king by the hands out of the hall. Leo always preferred comfier, cozier places to rest, after all, and none of the chairs in this room would do.

 

**Leo:**   "Yes, I recall... But you didn't mind so much later, did you?" Leo wiped away his tears as well and slowly followed his knight, gripping on his hands, wide smile on his face. 

"Naru~ I had such a stressful day, you could at least pet my head!" he exclaimed innocently, a bit pleadingly. 

Not everything was fixed all the way yet. Leo believed it will be though, soon. The hurt from these two years soon will become only a memory, he wished to only remember about Arashi's soft smile and gentle care he always received from him. No one ever remembers the interlude of a good spectacle after all, definitely not the king, his head too busy to be bothered with unnecessary details. 

He looked down at their face, humming contently. Their romance was over and yet he could tell it won't be a bad change. 

"I'm in your care, Narukami Arashi. My gently guardian I've been always missing."

He was more than willing to trust and relax around Arashi again. 

 

**Arashi:**   “Right, right, my king enjoys his skinship, doesn’t he? That part’s never grown out of you.” With a bubbly giggle, he led the king along the hallways, which had already darkened in the late afternoon sun. With the mention of a warm drink, he was starting to feel a little peckish. Perhaps he would order some soft sweets to go with their milk. Oh my, he laughed to himself, it almost seemed like he intended to stay with the king for a while. It surprised him that he even wanted to think about food right now, a sign that he’d fully relaxed.

After stopping a servant on the way and asking for some warm milk and fresh tarts in reserve, he stopped by the entrance to his own chambers. There was a moment’s hesitation as he put his hand on the door. It had been much too long since he’d been alone with the king, not to mention in his own sleeping place. The last time they were here… he couldn’t even recall. It really felt like ages ago.

His gaze slid down to meet the king’s, his look slightly apologetic, before opening the door again. “Ahh, goodness,” he said, sighing and undoing a few of the buttons on his shirt. “I really sweated a lot in this nice outfit today… Time to get it cleaned again…

“Well… make yourself at home, my king. It has been a while, I’m sorry I may have rearranged a little bit.” He smiled and turned to the chairs, making sure they were clean, and the cloth straight on the small table.

 

**Leo:** He let his knights led him only when he was tired so far. For past few years he struggled to be a strong, unshaken king so only Izumi was aware of his low moods when he wasn't leaving the chambers for a day. Arashi and Ritsu probably could tell that themselves but this time Leo naturally let Arashi to take care of him. It's how it's always been, long ago. So even though he didn't feel especially hungry now, he said nothing to the tarts order, turning his face when servant met with his tired, red eyes. Right, he's been crying his heart out just a while ago...

It was too late to change anything, he just followed his knight to his chambers but once they were there he hesitated. He remembered his last relaxing moment in that room all too well. He repeated them so many times in his mind during these two years.

"You don't have... Anything more important to do than pampering me, do you..?" he asked carefully, standing a bit on a side, his eyes wandering between the bed they've explored together so many times before to a small sofa, now standing a bit further from the fireplace. Besides that change the place felt... homely, just like he remembered it. Slowly, he headed towards the sofa though hesitating to sit on it.

  
  


**Arashi:**   Arashi looked over at his king with a touch of sympathy in his eyes. Being here together was nostalgic, as much as it was a bit painful to notice how much things changed. The sofa, which had been placed closer to the fireplace before, had been left to a corner, clean but barely used. The romantic, burgundy cloths and golden accents that he had given away and thrown out had been replaced by white embroidery, and fresh, delicately pale flowers filled the room with a comforting scent. He sighed quietly, remembering how he’d disposed of his old possessions, one by one, throwing away his memories of love with them. How he thought he could get rid of his past just like that.

“Please, your grace, you’re the one who dismissed us all for the day.” Arashi smiled. “And besides, there is absolutely nothing more important than pampering my king for today. You really need to rest, you know? Do you even realize how hard you’ve worked…”

He hummed, adjusting the things in his room and dusting off the surfaces. Soon enough, there was a knock on the door, and the warm milk and tarts had finally made it to his little table. The thought of taking care of Leo put him in a good mood, somehow. It felt right.

Arashi brought over a cup of milk and a few small tarts to the side table by the sofa for the king, then sat himself down in a chair nearby. “I apologize if it’s hard to relax in here. To be honest, I’m a little on edge too, but… I couldn’t really think of a better place.”

 

**Leo:**  "It's not that bad these days... Though I've been putting away some issues outside the capital for a while..." Leo furrowed his brow and awkwardly sat on a sofa, looking towards the fireplace. Even though they hugged and held hands just few minutes ago it's been so different here, in this room. Despite everything being rearranged, Arashi wasn't able to get rid of memories they created here. It made him both glad and also stung at his heart painfully, silencing him almost as if he entered some sort of a graveyard. Graveyard of their love and shared moments. 

The milk and sweets soon appeared next to him but he didn't pay attention to it, shifting in his place, trying to relax a bit.

"It's not your fault... My chambers wouldn't be any better, probably." he said quietly, his eyes closed. "You should put sofa closer to the fire again though... And sit here with me... It should feel a bit better, probably." he couldn't know, not for sure but when last time he tried to fix things with Sena, being honest and close helped a lot. It probably wasn't any magical formula, but still a start, right? 

 

**Arashi:**   Truth be told, he was thankful Leo was trying to be honest with him. He was so used to putting on airs around his king, dodging and ignoring and trying to forget his feelings. Even when they were together, when Leo treated him even more seriously than he treated himself, he had quickly built up walls between the two of them. Having his heart out in the open again made him feel more exposed than ever, but after so much together, he could say he even felt safer now. Hmm, his king had such strange effects on him.

“You’re right... the sofa does look a bit lonely over here, doesn’t it? It’ll get cold soon, after all, and I can’t let any royal guests freeze.” He gave Leo a gentle, knowing smile and stood up to join his king on the sofa. After taking a short sip of his warm milk, he reached out a hand, hesitating for a short moment before letting his fingers run through Leo’s hair again. There was no reason for him to be shy right now. The thought filled him with purpose.

“I still owed you a head pat, didn’t I?” he said quietly. “You know, besides the outside pressures, I know you’ve been stressed for quite a while lately. Dealing with so much may seem normal as a king, but maybe it’s not so normal as a human being…”

 

**Leo:**   Leo smiled back weakly and moved a bit after Arashi sat next to him. Shudder run through his body when he felt his fingers in this hair, the feeling both familiar and nostalgic. He bit his lip and leaned closer, hiding his face in Arashi’s arm. He couldn't let himself cry again, the purpose of this entire meeting was to relax after all.

"I missed your head pats... And sofa closer to the fire and..." Noticing his voice is high, he stopped, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. It's going to hurt for a bit more, of course. One talk cannot change everything all at once and it was a new sort of sadness to begin with. He reminded himself that Arashi was here with him, trying to comfort him with all his healing ability. He had to do the same, it was his responsibility. "I missed you." he admitted more calmly. This knowledge actually helped and he would have relaxed if not for his knight's next words. It wasn't something any of his knights actually realized. No one knew how much he questioned his humanity since the moment the Demon King's head ended in his hands. It still gave him nightmares every so often, he only accepted it as a part of being a king that slayed the old rule. He doubted he deserved to feel human at this point. But no one had to know about that. It would be too hard and too ridiculous of a fear to explain anyway. 

"Huuh... I'm keeping up, somehow." he decided to not refer to it, shifting and nuzzles into man's shoulder more comfortably. "Sena helps my moods a lot, you know~ My Sena, always being my voice of reason... Rittsu, supporting me quietly... Suo almost making me forget that duels aren't the most important things in the world... It wasn't really that stressful for a long time now." And he couldn't exactly call himself the king if he wavered at this bit of pressure. Despite that thought, he smiled a bit more heartily. He truly loved his knights so much, he wouldn't be here without them. 

 

**Arashi:**   “Mhmm… I missed you too.” Arashi hummed, wrapping his arm around the king’s shoulders. It felt nice to admit that. He hadn’t even been aware he was missing something in his life, having gotten rid of it all himself. Well, except for one thing he still had, hidden away in a small box in the deepest corners of his room. It was a small symbol of his moment’s hesitation, a little spark of hope he couldn’t cut away from himself.

He raised his other arm around Leo and hugged him closer, leaning his head on top of the king’s. It was something he used to do back when they’d seen each other often, and it always seemed to really calm the king down. And right now, his desire to comfort his king was just as much for himself as it was for the tired man in his arms.

“That’s right… you have the rest of us with you. Your family, as you like to call us… Oh my, if I’ve been welcomed back, then does that mean I can be everyone’s older sister?” Arashi laughed softly. It was always so charming how much the king loved his knights. Izumi, who had been by the king’s side for so long; Ritsu, who he seemed to trust with his life; Tsukasa, the upstart newbie who brought a wide smile to his face… It was Leo’s love for them that kept them together, helped make this place the warm place it was supposed to be. And Arashi needed only to fit his own piece back in.

 

**Leo:** Arashi held him closer and tighter and for Leo it finally felt as a proof that the man is really willing to move on, just how Leo always wanted. Or did he..? He's been always greedy, there were things he didn't want to give up on. Originally Leo thought that Arashi failed his trust entirely, that he the only one falling for him and getting himself hurt. He thought he's going to put aside or send him off only two hours ago. But instead, he was here, comforted, Arashi surrounding him with warmth so different yet similar, warmth he haven't experienced in years. Has he ever really knew it, Leo wondered and relaxed with a big sigh, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around knight's waist. He's been truly welcoming Arashi back now, but he was welcoming him in his heart. He could put his trust in him and he knew that.

He kept quiet for few minutes, letting the stress he felt this whole time melt a bit. His desire to disappear becoming smaller. And finally, he raised his head and reached to Arashi's hair, brushing it behind a little, soft smile forming on his lips.

"You've been always everyone's older sister, Naru. Ah, no... the queen of my knights they always could turn to." Leo shook his head. "I'm a broken king feeding off my knights' light, knights you've always taken care of when I curled on my bed or hid somewhere unable to face any of you... Naru, I might be greedy and selfish but can I rely on you as well? I'm not able to imagine any other queen reigning in this castle anyway." he laughed softly, still stroking Arashi's hair.

 

**Arashi:**  “Oh my, that’s an old title…” Arashi noted, softly stroking his king’s hair. “I hope you’re okay with little old me taking the spot as queen of the kingdom.” Instead of some graceful, refined lady, he added in his mind. He could never wear a beautiful, full dress, or do his hair up in gorgeous, golden braids… but the king had acknowledged him, and he wouldn’t let himself speak like that in front of someone who’d welcomed him in such a way.

Arashi glanced down at the small body in his arms. Despite claiming otherwise, the king was really amazing. Taking down an entire dynasty, bringing hope to the people, even defying the normal order of kings and heirs and royal families to seriously name someone like Arashi as a queen – he was truly admirable. And as for this amazing person who continued to call himself unkind, selfish, and greedy… Arashi would have to take care of things for him, and make sure this “family” he’d built up was as comfortable and happy as possible.

“Don’t underestimate yourself, my king. You forget we’ve all freely chosen to devote ourselves to you. Myself included.” He closed his eyes. His first oath as a kingsguard was made in such insincerity. He hoped he could eventually make up for that, and indulge himself a little more in the warm atmosphere of the castle.

 

**Leo:**   "There won't be any other queen in this castle but Naru anyway." Leo smiled softly and straightened, reaching for his mug with milk and put a spoon of sugar in it before drinking. He leaned back on Arashi, sighing contently, letting the warmth wash over his tired body. He could indeed fall asleep right here and now, like in old times, just with less of physical proximity. Though when it came to that, Leo took Arashis hand in his, running his thumb through the top of it, his head focused on nothing in particular for once. He could finally, truly rest now. How much time has passed since he allowed himself a moment like that..? Probably around two years, he concluded.

"Ah... Surely you all have done that..." he sighed closing his eyes slowly. "Though you know, this is sort of scary. Just look at Suo... Maybe I should just ignore it since he doesn't remember it anyway but offering his future to a man he barely knows..? It's different than just a knight oath, what should I do with that, Naru..."

It almost sounded as if he was asking for love advice. Arashi, of all people. Leo laughed a bit at the irony. He shouldn't have done that, hopefully Naru will slap him for that.

 

**Arashi:**   “Goodness, breaking tradition and making a knight into a queen…” Arashi chided softly, though there was a smile on his face. It was a charming thought, but there was something a bit sad about returning as a “queen” after all was said and done. There wasn’t a political need for a queen, nor did he feel such a romantic connection to Leo anymore. The title was, essentially, another name for his duty.

“Hmm… what’s this?” He looked down at the king again, slight surprise on his face. “Oh, Tsukasa-chan’s gone and said something really intense, hasn’t he… I can’t say it surprises me. He’s been getting himself into trouble with his words a lot lately, after all.” He realized with a pang what this meant, and the fingers stroking Leo’s hair stopped for a moment.

“He feels very strongly about you, that one,” he said slowly. And Leo really cared about the boy as well, he thought to himself. “Perhaps it may get him into trouble. But, you know… I doubt Tsukasa-chan would give up if you tried to subtly deter him. You could just wait and see.” He closed his eyes. “You never know what may happen, after all.”

 

**Leo:**   "Wait and see..." Leo repeated almost dully. What a weird concept, he thought to himself, his expression becoming dark. He never had the luxury of waiting. The head was taken from his hands, his face washed and he had to proclaim himself a new king, the hero everyone already knew he is. No time to lick your wounds, my king. The treason had come from a side he least expected. He and Arashi were the only thing he left hanging and it caused such a terrible fallout and pain. If he didn't let it wait, could he still save their feelings..? Or only cause more pain? 

He'll never find out now. He was changed, with very little strength left to keep fighting, holding on pieces of himself he managed to put together thanks to his knights. Arashi could fit another piece in, it was something worth fighting for. 

He stood up in front of his former lover, his first knight that has chosen to follow him without knowing a single thing about him. That always could wrap him in unconditional warmth and Leo was never asked to give anything in return. He reached with his fingers to Arashi's hair, stroking it gently, smiling softly at his knight.

"I should go to him and talk as I promised to you." he's said quietly leaning to kiss the top of man's head. "But when we have the time again, let's renew your oaths. I want bury in my heart vows of my kindest knight..." He wanted Araahi to know, how much he meant to him, to other knights. Even if he knew that already, even if some things were lost. Narukami Arashi had to know he belongs with Leo's kingsguard even if he was already welcomed. "It doesn't have to be official but it seems appropriate, right?" Finally, there was this bright, happy smile playing on his lips. He felt refreshed and ready to face whatever obligations he still had tonight. 

 

**Arashi:**   Arashi blinked at Leo as the king stood up in front of him. “You want to have another knighting ceremony? It seems like a bit of a fuss… but maybe that might be just the right thing to do.” He laughed, letting the king kiss his head. “Everything’s different now, after all. Perhaps starting fresh will do us some good.”

Following the king’s lead, he also stood up. “And to you, my only king, I shall devote my sword once again, and be loyal of hands and mouth,” he said, cleverly referencing his oaths. It made him realize that, over the few years he’d served the crown, he’d forgotten what they were about. Perhaps this time, the oaths would make more sense to him.

“Anyway, that’s a nice smile, my king. I hope your talk with Tsukasa-chan goes well.” In this case, he really meant it. It had become clear to him over the course of their conversations today that even though Leo’s smile was probably the brightest out of anyone’s, the king was fraying at the edges, too tired to chase after the light for himself. If he opened it up a bit more, perhaps someone honest like Tsukasa could bring it back to him… or so Arashi supposed.

 

**Leo:** "Naru is certainly a knight but to be a part of my guards, it has to feel special~!" The king chirped putting his hands on Arashi's chest as he stood up. He felt genuinely happy, for a first time in a while and his smile became even wider once Arashi commented on it. Leo hasn't even realized before how much he missed that man, not just the physical presence but the comfort Arashi was bringing. He wasn't so honest about his feelings in so long and his heart felt slightly lighter in his chest... Yet, there were countless things he might be not able to bring himself to ever talk about. Not to Naru, not to anyone. Things so ugly he only wished to forget about one day, oh what a wishful thinking it was...

"Small celebration just for my knights, it would be so nice..." he daydreamed with a soft tone and looked up at the blonde. It was the time to say goodbye to his knight and he hesitated. It's not like it was the end, rather the new beginning, for the both of them. And yet, leaving this room was like admitting that the old attachments were no more, maybe... He wasn't strong enough to accept that and close the doors to that chapter, has he ever truly done that..?

Little smile played on his lips and he stood on his toes to reach his knight's face. Now, this is closeness he truly didn't have in a while, Leo thought to himself as he left small smooches on each of Arashi's cheeks.

"I'm free to go now, don't worry about me~ Wahahah!" he laughed, his own face decorated with soft pink and he took few step back. "Thank you for everything, Naru." 

He didn't wait for the man to respond and hurried himself to doors. That was the only goodbye he accepted from himself now.

 

**Arashi:**   “Oh… ahaha,” he giggled, a shy blush appearing on his cheeks. They’d just been hugging and touching, but this was something a bit different, and for the first time in a while Arashi felt his heart flutter. Good heavens, the king hadn’t lost his habit of always being the more embarrassing one, Arashi thought. It was nice to think that some things hadn’t changed so much, after all.

And just as Leo finished the gesture, he made way to the door. Without giving a second thought, Arashi followed after him, unable to leave such an important guest on such an abrupt note. As they reached the door, Arashi stopped, looking at the king’s retreating figure.

“You know…” he said awkwardly, his hand on the edge of the doorframe. “You know you’re always welcome here, right? I’ll have a comfy place waiting for you if you need it.”

They exchanged smiles one last time, before the king turned, and Arashi finally shut his door. Breathing a heavy sigh, Arashi ran a hand through his hair and sat down at his center table. He felt so exhausted all of a sudden. He’d been feeling more emotions in a single day than he had in the past few months, or so it seemed as his chest felt sore and empty. He’d never noticed how cold and cavernous his rearranged room felt until now. He supposed he’d take Leo’s suggestion and move his sofa to a warmer place again.

Arashi took one of the lovely little strawberry tarts he’d ordered. The fruit inside was sweet, and a little sour. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad remembering the past again, he thought. Things were changing, after all. The king was changing, the knights were changing, and he himself was changing. Little happinesses were still hidden, in places he’d never thought to look.

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Leo:** His evening continued on. The king wandered off from Arashi’s chambers, seemingly aimless, yet his steps slowly followed to the training area of the castle. The look on his face was pensive and despite everything ending on a rather positive note, Leo had to admit he felt utterly exhausted. He didn't exactly wish to go to practice today, and only his promise to his gentle knight was making him take these steps. His chambers were right behind him - he could just go there and sleep or look for the music he's heard every so often... But no, he had to try his best again. For Suo... And probably for himself too.   
He sighed deeply as he left the building. It was a rather picturesque, clear evening, and the sky was calm with the first, lonely stars just appearing on it. The king smiled to himself, recalling an old tale his friend once told him about the sky. It was one of his most precious memories, and if he ever heard someone repeating the same theory, he would call them a genius and a hero. His hero.  
It was a relaxing thought, so Leo was smiling as he approached his youngest kingsguard, who was training with his healthy, non dominant hand.   
"Don't disturb yourself, Suo. Let me watch you for a while," he said, remembering how just this morning he planned to avoid this man for some time...   
Well, it wasn’t like he wouldn't be doing that anytime soon. He might have resolved his issue with Arashi, but his fears weren't exactly eased up. He still didn't want to develop any deeper feelings towards Suou Tsukasa.   
He sat down on the ground, without any care for his uniform getting dirty. He wasn't exactly this energetic, unpredictable man now; rather, he gave the impression of someone that had been working tirelessly for a long, long time.   
"You're not overdoing it, Suo, are you?" His voice was only partly scolding, way too much concern creeping into it. Oh, great. Is he going to be self-conscious of that now, too?

**Tsukasa:** Tsukasa had to admit that using a sword with his left hand was much more of a challenge than he had expected. The sword felt like a useless block in this hand, but what disappointed him the most was that he had never thought of training with it before. What a negligent kingsguard, he thought to himself. He had to work harder to keep his place.   
He was about to take another shaky practice swing when an unexpected figure appeared before him, and he had to think for a few seconds before remembering to politely close his mouth, which had been hanging open in surprise. The last time he saw the king was in the dining hall, and the memory of it made his heart thump with anticipation.   
“What… brings you here, your grace? Have you come to train at such an hour as well…?”   
Tsukasa was slightly impressed at the thought and wondered vaguely if the king knew how to use his other hand as well.   
“Ah… to watch, I see. I hope I do not disappoint,” he continued. Taking the sword in his left hand again, he raised it to take another swipe, which ended up being a bit too short, a bit too weak. It was frustrating that only a short while into practice would already make his arm feel a bit sore.   
“I was merely thinking I should become more skilled with my other hand as well. As I have bitterly experienced in our previous battle, there is no guarantee I will be able to use my right hand all the time. I must protect the throne as thoroughly as possible…”

**Leo:** The king put his folded arms on his knees and leaned forward, closely observing Tsukasa’s clumsy attempts to swing a sword with his left hand. He could tell clearly that the knight had thought of doing this for the first time, and in the perspective of their upcoming journey, it was a bit late to do that.  
“I think the throne is going to be fine for a while…” Leo laughed softly, thinking of Sena probably refusing to welcome guests into the audience hall when he’s absent. Of course, it wasn’t what Tsukasa meant, but he thought he made himself clear that in a moment of danger, the king wouldn’t be sitting and waiting to be saved.  
“Although that’s not a bad idea... “ He got up and suddenly regretted he didn’t take Silent Oath with him, but if he was already standing, Leo could give the boy some advice. There was no harm in that, right..?  
He actually felt slight nervousness creeping into the back of his mind as he joined his knight, standing with him arm by arm. Leo raised his arms, as if pretending he’s holding his sword.  
“I would rather you grasp how it is to fight by someone’s side. So we won’t get in each other’s way once there’s actual danger we have to deal with…” Leo spoke slowly, swinging with his empty hands, and hummed softly as he thought of the journey awaiting him. Ah, if he wasn’t so tired he could actually train for a while now, at least to make sure that Suo understood that he’s giving him a clear chance to go with him. He’s not going to praise him right away like Arashi probably expected from him, not at all.

**Tsukasa:** Seeing the king’s positive response, Tsukasa felt a new wave of energy. Ah, so he had made a good decision after all! Even though his arm was sore, he believed very strongly in his childhood tutor’s words -- practice leads to success. Practice had gotten him this far, after all.  
“Ah, naturally my king would think of a practical battle situation! I must broaden my thoughts.” He nodded, raising the sword again. Taking some care not to hit the king next to him, he took a swing.  
“Mm… There is not enough force to damage to opponent.” He took a few more swings, though he was dissatisfied.  
He momentarily lowered his arm again, brow knit in thought. “Perhaps it seems a foolish question, your grace, forgive me… but is my king able to use a sword with either hand as well? If so… How honorable. I am ashamed at my inexperience.” He was honestly impressed with the thought of the king deftly switching his control from one hand to the other. If he could not reach those levels of skill… perhaps it was too forward of him to suggest he go on a journey with the king.

**Leo:** "I told you to not overdo it...!" Leo wanted to sound harsh but the concern in his voice was obvious, and he shook his head. He wasn't able to do it. It was probably impossible for him to push Tsukasa away now that he grew fond of him. He had to accept it… there was nothing wrong with caring about his youngest knight. There was nothing wrong with liking him… maybe even developing something more. It didn't mean he'd agree for anything right away..!   
“Oh, well…” The king decided to dismiss his worries for a time being and lowered his arms, leaving his stance, taking as small step back. “Suo, you know that I’m a genius~! Is that so surprising that I can use both hands? Have you not paid attention to our sparrings?” He grinned and opted to poke his knight on the side between the metal plates of his light armor.   
“Actually, what sort of a knight doesn't pay attention to that? I can't have you so distracted on our journey, you know?” He poked the boy again, his humor slowly returning. He was Tsukasa's king indeed but he had another role as well, the one he took in the moment he didn't let the boy become his kingsguard on the spot. He was Tsukasa's teacher. His goal was to make that knight one day catch up to him. Though he'd never wish for him to go through what he lived through.   
“Honestly Suo, if you want to go, you need to show me the determination from our duel! Wahaha!” Leo put his hands on his sides, looking at Suo with a challenge in his eyes. It should be alright… he had the right to expect it from the boy. If he really shows the king he wants to go, Leo's not going to leave him in the castle. Tsukasa was able to convince him - he already did that once and it was beyond incredible. The Suous’ heir shined the most when his pride was at stake after all.

**Tsukasa:** “Ee-eeyah!” Tsukasa let out an unexpectedly high-pitched shriek, his face colored with embarrassment. He shouldn’t have been so surprised, but it felt like it had been a while since the king had casually touched him like that. Or was it just his imagination? Pouting a little, he put his hand over the gap in his armor.  
“I-I apologize, but I was paying the most attention to your technique, your gra-- …ah?” He stopped, his eyes widening a little. If he was hearing it correctly, the king seemed to be seriously considering taking him on this upcoming journey. If that truly was the case… the king’s provocations only served to renew his determination.  
“…So your grace recalls our duel.” A smile slowly crept onto his face. “I have not forgotten it either. It was perhaps the first moment in my life that I tasted the valor of a true knight. I… do not wish to ever forget that.”  
He straightened and sheathed his sword, the ache in his arm smarting. “That is why I selfishly make this request of you again - please allow me to accompany my king on his journey.”

**Leo:** A smug smile appeared on the king’s face at his knight’s words and he crossed his arms over his chest. These were the eyes of Suo’s he especially liked, the ones that were ready to reach for anything, no matter the cost. But Leo had always stood against those lavender, sparkling eyes, always pushing that man’s limits. He at least wanted to believe he was helping the knight become a stronger person.  
“I’m not allowing you to go yet.You know that I don’t grant selfish requests so easily, Suo.” he answered, taking a few steps around his knight “However, you should be given the opportunity to gain actual experience, so I will watch you closely for the next few days.”   
Leo approached the knight, closing the distance but not looking at Tsukasa, rather at his wounded arm, and he touched it softly, with a bit of a worry. Tsukasa’s decision to train barely a day after he got hurt was thoughtless, and at the moment, the king loathed how hardworking the boy could sometimes be. He had to make him realize that the knight had to also take care of himself.   
Leo grimaced, remembering it was only his fault that the boy got wounded. He was careless… And too strong.  
“Can I… take care of it?” he finally asked quietly, fingers running down the blue fabric. “You should have waited on practice at least until it closes properly…”

**Tsukasa:** Tsukasa followed the king with his eyes. Despite how many times he’d been scrutinized, he couldn’t help but feel nervous under that steady green gaze.  
He closed his eyes as the rough fingers touched his wound so gently. It didn’t hurt so much as dully throb under the neatly wrapped bandages, but he already dreaded what it would look like should he unwrap it. The gaping, exposed, pinkish wound was a part of him that was missing, something that could only be filled with work and practice.  
“I could not ask my king to perform such a menial task,” he replied, bringing his other hand up to cover the ache. “...Although, perhaps I have indeed been too hasty,” he added hesitantly.  
Childish pride still sticking in his throat, he didn’t want to admit that it hurt. To admit that was to turn back on his own stubborn, albeit perhaps misguided, determination. But at the same time, the king’s voice was soft, it was dark, and the chilly wind was wrapping around him comfortingly.   
The king was curious, and he had no secrets to keep. Slowly, slowly, he lowered his guard and let the complaint spill from his mouth.  
“I admit it would be difficult to observe me when I can barely lift a sword at the moment… It is… still painful.”

**Leo:** Oh, sweet, innocent Suo, of course it hurt... Of course your foolish king was careless and hit too hard, trying to use his frustrations on you when he was well aware of his terrifying strength. How could your king expect you to perform well?   
Leo's gaze became even softer and he looked up at these big, bright eyes with a small, slightly apologetic smile on his face. He was the one that hurt that boy, and all Tsukasa was thinking of was how to please him despite that. Truly, he'd be on a par with the Demon King if he just accepted that.  
"I didn't mean your swordsmanship, Suo. I know what you're capable of," he said, reaching up to Tsukasa’s shoulder and patting it few times, trying to display a reassuring expression. "Suo is one of my most skilled knights, a magnificent stone shining proudly on the crown that grows more beautiful with each day at the court." These were very rare words of praise from his mouth, as Leo usually wasn't the one to spoil the boy, rather acknowledge him. But what else was he supposed to do when Tsukasa was admitting he was in pain with such a pathetic face?   
"You really need to learn a bit when to swallow up that cute pride of yours." Leo let out a small chuckle and took a small distance, turning from the boy and heading towards the castle. "And now, the king's request is to take care of his knight so~ come with me Suo, you can't refuse! Wahahah!" He wondered if Tsukasa understood what he meant. Would he remember something from that night if he pushed him a bit? But, did Leo really want it? Has he wanted to be like a lady, ignoring her knights’ advances, standing unshaken by their sweet words? Could he really do that...? Maybe it was better that the boy remained naively oblivious...   
He sighed deeply, looking up at the darkening sky as if wishing he'd find his answers there. 

 

**Tsukasa:** Tsukasa’s eyes lit up, a warmth beginning to spread throughout his body. The king’s words were far beyond the usual gibes at his pretty face or his shining armor – they were honest words, spoken in a way he could so clearly understand.  
At a loss for words for a moment, he let the king continue on. Certainly, pride could lead to a fall – a lesson he’d heard so often back home – and pride nearly injured him further tonight, but now a different sort of pride filled his chest. It had never occurred to him that he was something so precious.  
He bowed his head. “I thank you… It is an honor.”  
He indeed had many faults, and he knew and acknowledged them when they were pointed out to him. Voices from his memories floated up. Be humble and kind, his mother said. Be proud and powerful, his father said.  
Let go, just a little, the king said.  
Tsukasa took the sword in his hands and followed hurriedly after the retreating Leo. “I admit that my injury needs some attention, but where are you heading off to?”

**Leo:** "For a start, we're stopping you from pushing yourself further! Wahaha! And I better not see you on the training grounds tomorrow, or I will not only leave you in the castle but also get pretty angry, you know!!" The king laughed, his confidence slightly restored as he marched towards the hospital wing of the castle. Who would have thought that Naru was right and having this talk with their youngest will improve his mood? He was still beyond tired, slightly worried and quite a bit drained but at least he felt a bit motivated to push himself for next few days. There were so many preparations to be made...   
"I'm going to teach you some useful stuff, so you better watch closely. On a journey protecting your king isn't your only worry. Trust me, I'm really capable of doing that myself anyway! Ufufufu~"   
Finally, they reached the hospital hall, the very same one they spent a day in after the duel (or at least, if Leo recalled correctly, Tsukasa did).   
The nurses bowed at his unexpected entrance and Leo waved his hand at them. With a few words, he informed the hospital’s wing service that they can relax and asked for a cloth and warm water.   
"Now, Suo. Take off that armour." he ordered cheerfully, taking a seat on one of the random beds. 

**Tsukasa:** “For all of tomorrow?” Tsukasa asked incredulously, moving his pace to match the king’s. “Surely my injury cannot be so disastrous that I spend a whole day in bed? I must know how to handle situations such as these if it were to arise in the battlefield!”  
Yes, it was sore and it hurt, but there was absolutely nothing that said he wouldn’t be even better at swinging a sword in his left hand tomorrow. The king was being oddly considerate of him, and he almost felt his protest was rude, but in the end his skill level mattered much more to him.  
However, once they got to the nursing wing, he quieted. Bowing politely to the attendants, he hurriedly moved forward and began to unbuckle his armor, wincing at the pain in his arm occasionally. How he loathed the complex latches on these metal parts at times like these…  
He finally freed himself and sat down by the king’s side. “Have you done this before?” he asked nonchalantly. “I assume kings have others to attend to their wounds…”

**Leo:** He didn't answer Tsukasa's complaints as they moved to the hospital hall and got completely quiet when the boy started to undress. The king had to hold back a sympathetic grimace seeing that taking off the armour isn't that easy of a task for him. At least Suo was a honest boy, right... He wasn't trying to put on that unconvincing, brave face anymore, while if it was Leo... He'd be pushing himself as long as he knew he needs to keep working. He was a hypocrite to comment on it, but Tsukasa's training with one hand wasn't something he'd seen as necessary.   
And it was definitely not necessary now, when the wound had clearly opened under the bandages, and Leo reached to start slowly undoing the reddened cloth, trying to be delicate.   
"I haven't gotten seriously injured since I became the king, you know." His tone was serious as the threw the bloody bandages on the floor and examined the wound closely. A sigh full of relief escaped his mouth when he realized the nasty looking wound wasn't too deep and its edges were smooth.... As long as Suo lets it rest, it should heal properly.  
"See?! See how red and swollen it is?!" Leo's voice came out high and scolding as he pointed at the wound. "I don't want to hear anything about training until it closes properly! You're not letting it heal at all, Suo! Keep it up and it won't heal until my leave! And wounded, you're not going anywhere!"   
The king puffed his cheeks in a rather childish way and dipped the material in warm water, cleaning the wound of old blood.  
"It's just two or three days and it will be way better..." Leo added a bit more calmly, his touch gentle as he made sure he's cleaning the cut properly. "Honestly, you're lucky, you know... If I had a bit more experience with the spear it could look worse..." If it was Silent Oath, Tsukasa wouldn't be even allowed to leave the bed after the king's powerful strike. 

**Tsukasa:** Tsukasa avoided the king’s eyes as he was being scolded, fully aware that he couldn’t really say anything back when the bandages stuck painfully to the open gash as they were being removed. Silence hung in the air after the king’s sharp words, Tsukasa waiting for him to finish working.  
As it was being cleaned, he chanced a look at it and grimaced. The skin was raw and pinkish and he felt a little sick seeing how bad it looked.   
“You are right… I thought I could win.” He shook his head and hung it low. “I was a fool. Horseback and spears are my specialty, and yet I could not match up to someone of my king’s experience yet… I should have thought this through.”  
He turned his head to look at the king again. Despite how down he felt, he still found it fascinating to see the king make yet another different, even more gentle expression.  
“I apologize… I made everyone worry,” he said, slowly, his strength returning to him. “I realize I rushed into a battle from my restlessness and frustration. I want to learn from this mistake.”

**Leo:** “Ah… You could win this duel, you would win it… But you were just as distracted as me, I shouldn’t have allowed that duel in the first place.” Now the king was making a troubled expression, displeased with how messy his feelings were these days. How unsightly for a king. He chuckled with a bit of relief, realizing that at least he settled his misunderstanding with Naru… Maybe he wasn’t an entirely lost cause in these matters   
“You must treasure your seniors more, Suo. They would be all worried sick if you got seriously hurt.” ...I would be worried sick as well, Leo added in his mind as he reached toward one of the ointments the medic brought. It was supposed to soothe the pain and reduce redness… or something along those lines. The king didn’t doubt it would help so he put a bit on the wound and bandaged it thoughtfully.   
Once done, he leaned back with a proud smile.  
“It is done! I haven’t done it in few sweet years~! I think I did fairly well? I hope you watched closely, first aid is extremely important on journeys and the battlefield! Wahaha!”

**Tsukasa:** When Leo finished tying the bandage, Tsukasa wiggled his arm and rolled his shoulder a little, testing the flexibility. It wasn’t as beautiful as Arashi’s handiwork, but it was a simple and solid knot. The cool ointment on his skin soothed the stinging pain, and the throbbing of the wound subsided greatly. “Ah… Wonderful! I could not have done it better myself, my king. I will be sure to take note from you and Narukami-senpai.”  
He gave his king a small, but genuine, smile. “I suppose getting hurt in recklessness does not suit a knight so well, does it? It would be a shame if my seniors had seen the last of me here…” A small burst of energy returned to his chest as he thought of coming back to his seniors even more powerful than before. Maybe they would be happy and proud of him…

**Leo:** "Fufu, it's youth's sweet privilege to get reckless in battle but you, my dear, young kingsguard, have no such luxury." Leo's voice was cheerful and yet his words were heavy, the gaze careful as he didn't take his eyes off Tsukasa. "You're protecting the king directly, everyone is looking up to you. You have to be much more than a knight but an authority figure and a symbol. You cannot let feelings cloud your mind as long as you're on duty. Whatever they may be."  
He gave the boy the knowing smile and stood up slowly. After fixing his outfit, the king yawned loudly and stretched with a small whine.  
"I may have spent most of the day sleeping but I feel like wrapping myself in a warm blanket and never leaving, uhuhu~" His mood certainly got better with that evening and the king wrapped his arms around his chest as if trying to warm himself up. "Nights sure are still a bit cold, aren't they, Suo?"   
Slowly he directed his steps towards the exit of the hospital wing.

**Tsukasa:** Tsukasa felt the king was being a little mysterious, but the advice was sound. He’d learned his lesson as least, and just as the king had warned him, he was thankful that he’d gotten away with only a wound like this. “I will keep that in mind. Forgive me, for it has taken me a while to learn the full gravity of my role as a kingsguard,” he said, giving Leo a small nod. His expression was serious, his eyes staring into Leo’s, determined to take the advice in full.  
When the king got up, Tsukasa watched him leave, obediently staying in the quarters to heal. “It is unduly cold for a spring day indeed, your grace. If I could, I would send for more blankets for the royal bedchamber.” He smiled. “Stay warm for the journey ahead of you.”

**Leo:** Leo's arms dropped at his knight's last comment and he looked at him closely. Oh, has that nearly twenty year old man had no idea what he was suggesting? Maybe actually he was wrong about his feelings?   
"Wahaha! Aren't you a cute knight, Suo?" He couldn't hold back on making a comment and took few steps to poke the man's nose with a wide smile. "I will ask for this blanket in your place, that's a good suggestion, though not what I had in mind~!"   
He just wanted someone to cuddle him, but it was alright, Suo was absolutely right. With a warm smile, he reached higher to that red hair and fluffed it a little.   
"I hope your body heals quickly and fast, Suo~" With these words, he slowly turned towards the doors again. 

**Tsukasa:** The king's reaction was a bit confusing, and Tsukasa in his tiredness couldn't hide the flustered look on his face. "Cute? I am afraid I don't understand," he said politely, face reddening a little at the king ruffling his hair. To be treated like such a child, he must have said something strange.  
He sheepishly ran his good hand through his mussed up hair. Normally, he would have complained, but it felt somehow good to have the king's warm hand on his head, and he missed it when it was gone.   
"I will heal as quickly as possible, so that I may serve you again," he replied with a small smile as he watched Leo leave.

**Leo:** "Wahahah! Suo, take all time you need to heal! Just don't make me wait for too long~! I'm not a patient king of any sort." The king was at the doors when he turned back and smiled at his youngest knight. He didn't have to see Tsukasa's red cheeks to know that this time such a simple gesture, almost a daily one from him, caused a reaction that was different from usual. Eh... Or maybe he was actually overreacting? He's surely way too stressed these days, and today it felt like his insecurities went through the castle tower’s roof...  
"Either way, you have a few days to heal, convince me and prepare for the journey, Suo~. So use your time wisely, fufu. Sweet dreams." He finally bade his farewell and left the hospital room. Suo certainly had a bit of time to prepare but it's going to be a busy few days for the king as well... Maybe his initial plan of avoiding the knight wasn't the best one and he should entrust himself to his cruel fate again..?

**Tsukasa:** “Yes… Thank you for your care, my king,” he replied, bowing his head as Leo left the room.  
It was mysterious how warm he felt after spending so much time in frustration in the courtyard. He felt like his emotions had been both soaring and sinking today, and it tired his body out. With a sigh, he leaned back on the bed. With how much practice and stress he’d had today, he figured it would be easy enough for him to sleep. But after several minutes passed, he found himself staring up at the ceiling, holding on to his injured, slightly throbbing arm.  
A flicker of nervousness lay in the pit of his stomach, refusing to be shaken off. There was a bit of excitement there - the journey itself was bound to be a significant experience to Tsukasa, who had never traveled so far before, let alone to the East. He could be up close with the king, watching how Leo handled real battles and real troubles. It was an opportunity he would never pass up.  
On the other hand, however, he felt worry prickle into his body. There wasn’t any telling what would happen on such a journey… and perhaps he could fail again, with worse consequences.   
Tsukasa shook his head vigorously and closed his eyes again in an attempt to sleep. The worries he had wouldn’t help him heal, and he’d promised to heal as quickly as possible. He would have to be brave and face this situation head-on, he thought, as he steadily fell into sleep.


End file.
